Union Verdi Pays for ‘Resistance’ Buses to Block AfD Rally
A major German trade union is reimbursing members' travel costs to protests aimed at physically blocking the Alternative for Germany party's conference in Erfurt.
According to Junge Freiheit, the North Rhine-Westphalia branch of Verdi, one of Germany’s largest trade unions, is reimbursing members for bus tickets to protests aimed at preventing the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party congress scheduled for July 4-5 in Erfurt, Thuringia. Members traveling with buses organized by the far-left “Widersetzen” alliance can claim full refunds from the union, which advertises on its website that “members can travel for free.”
The initiative operates under the banner “Prevent the AfD Party Congress.” The opening lines of the Widersetzen call to action declare that the AfD federal party congress “must not take place” and characterize it as a “fascist gathering” led by Björn Höcke.
Organizers are busing massive numbers of protesters to Erfurt, claiming they expect 50,000 participants. The stated strategy is to blockade all access roads to the exhibition halls where the AfD conference is scheduled to occur. Hundreds of activists have been training for weeks in preparation for the first weekend of July.
Union Claims Democratic Mandate for Anti-Democratic Tactics
Verdi NRW is actively calling for participation in the protest and states that the planned prevention of the party congress will “send a clear signal for democracy, solidarity and social cohesion,” according to the union’s website.
The justification stands in stark contrast to the methods employed. Previous similar actions targeting AfD party congresses in Essen and Riesa, as well as the founding event of the AfD youth organization “Generation Deutschland” in Giessen, resulted in serious violent clashes and hundreds of injured police officers. Erfurt police are anticipating similar unrest and have deployed thousands of officers.
Verdi attempts to provide historical legitimacy for its actions by noting that “almost exactly 100 years ago” the National Socialist party held a Reich party congress in Weimar during the Weimar Republic era. The union claims this “historical date makes clear why it is important to decisively oppose right-wing and anti-democratic developments.”
Cash-Only Tickets and Coordination to Avoid Accountability
Bus tickets organized by Widersetzen from North Rhine-Westphalia cost between 30 euros from Düsseldorf and 40 euros from Aachen, with so-called “solidarity tickets” priced at 50 euros. Buses are also departing from Essen and Dortmund. The organizers’ website states that those facing financial constraints should send an email and “we will find a solution.”
Notably, the left-wing alliance is selling many tickets only for cash. This appears designed to prevent later identification of participants in what could involve illegal activity.
Verdi maintains that it is part of the union’s self-conception to stand for democracy and against hate and exclusion, claiming that “commitment to democracy does not end at the factory gate.”
Senior Politicians Openly Call for Blockades
Bodo Ramelow, a member of the Left Party who serves as Vice President of the German Bundestag, is urging Germans to participate in the blockades. Heidi Reichinnek, parliamentary group leader for the Left Party, issued a similar call, stating “Join the protests!” She is also soliciting donations for the action.
The city of Erfurt has been preparing for weeks for the state of emergency. Schools have been instructed to distribute report cards on the last day before summer vacation, July 3, no later than 9:30 AM to minimize disruption.
The spectacle of a major trade union financing efforts to physically prevent a lawful political assembly represents an escalation in tactics against Germany’s largest opposition party, which currently polls as the country’s second-strongest political force.
With information from Junge Freiheit
