Chemnitz holds anti-racism concert
ADVERTISEMENTAround 50,000 people turned out for a free concert in the German city of Chemnitz on Monday (September 3), in an effort to push back against the growing far-right movement in parts of the country.
Promoted under the #WeAreMore hashtag, the concert was organised in the wake of last week's violent anti-immigrant protests.
"This is very good," a young man told reporters as he headed to the concert. "Just to show that we are clearly against what has happened here in the last days, that we are a big crowd with a statement: We are against it, we are more!"
"In my opinion, the concert should have been neutral, for peace and not against the right because that will just cause more provocation," another concert-goer said.
The protests in Chemnitz were triggered by the fatal stabbing of a German man allegedly at the hands of two Middle Eastern migrants.
The lead singer of headliners 'Die Toten Hosen' said the concert was intended to break the cycle of violence:
"I believe we need to make clear that this is not about fighting left against right, but about how normal decency, regardless of political affiliation, stands against a violent right-wing mob," singer Campino told reporters.
The atmosphere at the concert was peaceful and festive. In recent days, local residents and officials have tried to separate their city from the violent images beamed around the world.
The arrival of more than a million Middle Eastern migrants in 2015 has fuelled support for far-right groups such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD), now the largest opposition party in the German parliament.