4,841 incidents: 2021 more right-wing and racist propaganda offenses registered in Berlin
4,841 occurrences
–
2021 more right-wing and racist propaganda offenses registered in Berlin
Significantly more cases of right-wing extremist and racist propaganda were registered in Berlin last year. Crimes were often reported at Corona demos, and the election campaigns have apparently also started to increase registrations.
Due to improved reporting options, among other things, significantly more right-wing extremist and racist propaganda and other incidents were registered in Berlin last year. A total of 4,841 incidents (2020: 3,422) were recorded, the documentation center Berlin register announced together with other initiatives on Tuesday. This is a new high.
In particular, the number of propaganda crimes such as painted Nazi symbols, Holocaust comparisons and anti-Semitism increased, often in connection with corona demonstrations. The election campaigns also contributed to this. The coordination office of the Berlin Register also states that it has “reported the first incidents of hostility towards Russians and Ukrainians” and assumes that this number could rise further this year.
61 percent of the incidents were propaganda crimes
The numbers are also higher than 2020 because in 2021 there were more advice centers, more money for public relations, simpler reporting channels via apps and a new website, the documentation center said.
61 percent of the reported incidents are propaganda crimes, 15 percent insults and threats. In addition, there were disadvantages (8 percent), attacks and events (6 percent each) and damage to property, said Kati Becker from the documentation center on Tuesday.
Almost a third of the incidents are racist
Almost a third of the incidents (1,428, 29 percent) were racist, 22 percent (1,043) anti-Semitic. 16 percent of the cases are about right-wing self-portrayal, 15 percent about a trivialization of National Socialism. 12 percent of incidents would have
directed against political opponents, 4 percent were anti-gay or anti-lesbian.
More anti-Semitic statements and threats were also recorded in connection with the attacks between Israel and the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas. In May and June 2021, many such incidents became known during demonstrations by Palestinian groups and people of Arab origin. Anti-Semitic abuse of people in Arabic is also common on the street, according to reports from the police and descriptions of those affected.
Racist attacks on Black people have increased
Incidents of violence, threats and discrimination against black people can be found in all areas of life, as the Afro census published in autumn 2021 shows for the first time. The experiences of racism range from racial profiling, i.e. controls or violence by police officers based on skin color and attribution, to the health sector.
Competences are often denied, those affected stereotyped or the incidents trivialized to the point of denying the racist background and reversing the perpetrator-victim perspective. People often seek help in vain.
Muna AnNisa Aikins from the anti-discrimination agency Each One Teach One, EOTO for short, calls for the expansion of discrimination-sensitive advice centers and for Germany-wide monitoring of anti-black racism. “It is important to understand this experience specifically and to develop expertise critical of racism, but overall also, because we are talking about psychotherapeutic support, to understand health as an effective factor of racism.”
More antisemitic incidents as a result of the pandemic
The sharp increase in anti-Semitic violence is partly related to the ongoing corona pandemic, for example when people from the lateral thinker scene wear symbols such as the Star of David with the inscription “Unvaccinated”. About half of the incidents were found in social networks. In the 2021 election year, right-wing parties were increasingly using anti-Semitic slogans.
Anti-Semitic attacks in urban areas increased in May and June 2021 in connection with the escalation of the conflict between Israel and the Islamist Hamas. Anti-Semitic violent incidents are not limited to individual districts, but are recorded for the entire city, says Julia Kopp from the Research and Information Center Anti-Semitism Berlin – rias for short.
In education, anti-Semitism cuts across all types of schools. The incidents range from anti-Semitic jokes to threats of violence. However, the number of unreported cases is high because there is a lack of systematic documentation, she criticizes: “There are studies, the knowledge about it, but it is an area that needs to be explored. What we also perceive, however, is that there is also a systemic and surprising problem in this area, it always depends a lot on how it is expected, unfortunately it varies.”
Registered violent attacks decreased – police provide less information
Only the number of registered violent attacks has fallen to 294 (2020: 372). The reason is that the police had transmitted less information due to data protection problems so that crimes could not be identified using a date or the crime scene. But that’s not the fault of the police, said the spokeswoman. So far the problem has not been solved.
Overall, according to coordinator Kati Becker from the Berliner Register, the figures for 2021 reflect the social climate of the past year and show how necessary a strong civil society is to counter exclusion and discrimination.
Broadcast: rbb24-Inforadio, March 29, 2022, 12:30 p.m
With material from Sigrid Hoff.