A-Infos (en) Germany, die plattform: Increasing right-wing violence in Dortmund: Not a foot's breadth from the fascists! (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

The neo-Nazi scene in Dortmund has suffered a number of severe setbacks in recent 
years: some cadres have repeatedly ended up in jail. Others left Dortmund for 
East Germany because they no longer saw any prospects for their work in Dortmund. 
A few veteran "comrades" died right away. The scene is clearly behind its best 
times, when it regularly organized marches and was present in the city with 
information stands several times a week. For a number of years, there has been 
repeated talk that Dortmund's neo-Nazi scene is weakened and less dangerous. ---- 
Various events of the past days, weeks and months show, however, that this 
analysis does not go far enough. We would like to use this text to use our means 
to draw attention to these events and the immediate danger that right-wing 
violent criminals are currently posing in Dortmund. We want everyone who could 
become a target of the fascists to know what to expect so that they are able to 
prepare. We also want to show where we currently see opportunities for action to 
counter the fascist danger together.

In addition to our own observations, we largely refer to the research work of the 
Nordstadt bloggers, which they compiled in their article of February 18, 2023 and 
in which they in turn refer to statements and research by the comrades of Mean 
Streets Antifa and the NRW research collective relate.

Increased fascist presence and repeated violence

A new quality of right-wing hate campaigns was already evident in the summer. 
Comrades Joshua and Marian from the anarchist podcast Übertage were slandered 
online as pedophile rapists in order to get their address anonymously. As a 
result, one of the comrades in Nordstadt was approached by an angry crowd.

In the past weeks and months it can be observed that smaller groups of fascists 
are again hanging around in the inner city area more often in the evenings; 
including at the Bergmann kiosk but also in front of the Vater & Sohn pub in 
Nordstadt, which is popular with right-wingers. They do not seem to fear 
anti-fascist interventions. Again and again they threatened people they 
identified as leftists. Such situations resulted in several physical and violent 
assaults, some of which the attacked were only able to escape with great luck. 
Such attacks are not new in Dortmund and yet we have to say that they are 
currently increasing immensely.

The increased threat of fascist violence is also reflected in several attacks on 
premises, in which it is not certain, but at least presumable, that fascists are 
behind them. Last year, the Taranta Babu bookstore in the clinic district was 
attacked. Then the Missing Link pub in the Union Quarter. And then just recently 
the office of the Left Party on the Wall.

In addition, fascists in different places are increasingly trying to appropriate 
urban space through the massive distribution of stickers.

The fascists form new alliances

The current attacks seem to have come mainly from a group of young men whose 
composition is rather atypical for neo-Nazi thugs. Because in addition to the 
well-known fascist Steven F., there are also young people and young men with a 
migration background. A man named Serkan B., who appears again and again with the 
fascists around F. and also expresses his sympathy for the scene with an SS 
tattoo, should be assessed as a key figure. He comes from the drug scene.

The Nordstadt bloggers see in B. and his environment the originators of some 
social media profiles that call for the hunt for (alleged) pedophiles and post 
extremely graphic image material of (alleged) assaults. Both in their fantasies 
of violence against (alleged) pedophiles and in their hatred of LGBTI people and 
(alleged) leftists, the otherwise rather different milieus seem to come together.

Another thing unites them: male body and martial arts. According to the Nordstadt 
blogger, B. is also behind an underground martial arts event that recently took 
place in Dortmund and in which, according to the NRW research collective, 
neo-Nazis competed against young migrants. The purpose of such events is obvious: 
to recruit young people into the scene, to prove their own masculinity and to 
train their fighting skills for such assaults as we have seen.

Hype in social media and the authorities looking the other way

While threatening people on Dortmund's streets, Steven F. trundles from one 
social media format to the next. A number of influencers and personalities from 
the hip-hop cosmos have already invited him so that he can spread his blunt 
misanthropy in front of the camera. They know a neo-Nazi gets clicks and they are 
obviously willing to throw any principles overboard for a few quick euros. F. is 
allowed to present itself to hundreds of thousands of kids as a crass but 
"correct" neo-Nazi and gets recognition for it again and again.

While some offer the fascists a platform, the police prefer to stick to the 
traditional strategy of playing it down. There are no investigation results. 
Serkan B. is not on the right either. Everything is being done to keep the crime 
statistics on the right, which have been worked on for many years, nice and low. 
We must be aware that the police will not protect us. We need our own answer!

Our answer?

We must not underestimate the current situation. The danger of right-wing attacks 
on people and spaces is real. We have to take care of ourselves and each other. 
That means keeping your eyes open, looking around twice on the way home in the 
evening, preferring to be with several people and taking other precautions. And 
to be ready when others need help.

However, we should not panic either. Instead, we must think carefully together 
about how we can resolutely counter the fascist threat. Because if the last few 
weeks and months have shown one thing, it is this: If the fascists are not shown 
any limits, then they just keep going.

Now is the time for us to think collectively about what to do if they just show 
up again to threaten or attack our people. It is time to form anti-fascist 
self-defense on the street and to put up tangible resistance to the fascists. To 
make sure they don't dare to do that again.

Above all, however, it must also be about creating attention in our living 
environment. The fascists are currently hanging around in the Union Quarter in 
particular, but also in some places in the northern part of the city. Let's get 
in touch with our neighbours, let's explain the current situation to them and 
prepare together with them. We will only be able to make the fascists 
uncomfortable if they know that the whole neighborhood is against them. In 
addition, let us act consistently against any attempt at fascist spatial 
occupation, whether with tags, stickers or posters.

Last but not least, one thing is clear: as long as there are housing projects in 
Dorstfeld, this Nazi problem will also exist in our city. The fight against the 
fascists must finally intensify throughout Dortmund with a focus on Dorstfeld. It 
will be a long way until then, but we have to tackle it now.

So get active, prepare, fight back and report Nazis and their activities to the 
Antifa structures!

Solidarity with all those affected by right-wing violence! Resolutely oppose the 
fascists!

https://ruhr.dieplattform.org/2023/02/25/zunehmende-rechte-gewalt-in-dortmund-kein-fussbreit-den-faschisten/
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