The following video shows excerpts from a “town hall” meeting in Chemnitz, the city in eastern Germany that has become the focal point of protests against mass immigration. The demonstrations began last week after two people were stabbed to death by culture-enrichers. The minister president for Saxony (who is roughly equivalent to the governor of an American state, or the premier of a Canadian province) joined the mayor of Chemnitz in a face-to-face discussion with residents of the city.

Media reports on the demonstrations in Chemnitz focused on the sieg-heiling of a few of the participants, and the even rarer instances of violence. My intuition tells me that many — if not all — of the “Nazis” who strutted their stuff at the demos were in fact planted by state intelligence services. The NPD (the largest neo-Nazi outfit in Germany) is notorious for being thoroughly infiltrated by police and intelligence agents, including many in leadership positions. If the government wanted to discredit dissent against its immigration policies — and I assume it does — it would be foolish not to use those undercover assets to sieg-heil and chase down “southern-looking” people while media cameras were present. Footage of such incidents would then be shown repeatedly on television, at home and abroad, to the exclusion of almost anything else.

So the situation is even worse than the angry residents of Chemnitz think. When they speak to the mayor and the minister president about the media slanders against themselves and their fellow citizens, they don’t realize that those slanders are deliberately generated, inflated, and propagated by government agencies in collusion with the media.

Many thanks to MissPiggy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

00:00 As you can see behind me here, people are clapping. Unfortunately, from back here

00:05 in the back row I can’t tell you what has been said. However, it seems

00:09 to have been a response to a statement made by one of the citizens.

00:13 Apart from that, among those present here, I only saw a few

00:17 of them demonstrating. I certainly did not see the press. And what was being said

00:21 by the media outlets Sunday evening on television was one long continuous LIE!

00:27 I have to say that now. On the outskirts of the unregistered demonstration,

00:38 I was not a participant in the “official” demonstration. Well, I wanted

00:42 to join the Firebirds, with four families that are our friends. It was an unofficial

00:47 Demonstration, but there were no incidents from the side demonstrations. From what

00:51 I witnessed, there weren’t any injuries either. There is this one small cell phone video

00:58 where some stupid man dressed in black looks like he is chasing a foreign-looking man.

01:04 That was it! And you in the press — stop saying bad things about Chemnitz!

01:10 We are proud of our city and we won’t put up with it!

01:14 And I want to make that perfectly clear. The second thing I want to say:

01:19 in 2015 so many foreigners came to Germany. A former interior minister

01:24 said even back then that it was a massive mistake admitting countless

01:28 people without documentation. Why did this happen? And then came the “we can do it”.

01:34 So now for the last three years, in all cities all over Germany, or in many cities,

01:38 we have continuous criminal offenses occurring, which are being trivialised.

01:45 If an Arab is provoked by a non-Jew wearing a kippah and wants to whip him

01:53 with a belt buckle, then the news is stinking full of that, but if here in Saxony

02:00 people are doing their jobs properly and are afraid walking home from

02:05 the theater at night or can’t walk through the park for the victims of fascism.

02:10 If you try to go through the Red Tower passage, you will be

02:14 scanned from top to bottom to see if you might be a potential narcotics customer.

02:18 This has to stop! We aren’t going to put up with it anymore!

02:22 They stand outside…and that’s why — It is the media that discredits us! — Exactly!

02:28 I’m asking you, to make it perfectly clear — we need integration measures,

02:32 but these measures should be managed in such a way that they also

02:36 understand our culture and also adapt to it. When I’m Dubai and if kiss my wife,

02:43 I’ll go to prison for six months, and when they touch our girls, they

02:50 they don’t even get a slap on the wrist.

02:54 Saxony Minister: So first, the video that you mentioned, is a reality and even if it were

03:08 just this one case — it’s still too much. Because, he wants… slowly, slowly

03:19 slowly, slowly, I’ve just heard a plea about the decency of this city and that

03:27 I firmly believe and I’m firmly convinced of. Which means every case and

03:31 even if only one — is too much. So, first, now secondly, it was not just one,

03:35 but it was about two dozen. So we can verify the numbers. There were complaints

03:43 filed with the police; there were witnesses and so on. —But If I may, when this

03:55 is being described as “hunting” or “pogrom” — that is wrong. That’s not what authorities

03:59 determined and it is totally exaggerated. It’s just nonsense. I agree that there should

04:03 be a pushback against such language.

04:07 So, you all do not need to scream like that because I… I said that myself, several times

04:17 on TV today and I just said it again. Secondly, secondly, slowly, when

04:27 the matter is as you say, that you are afraid to walk through the park.

04:34 That people are being harassed there, then that is something for the police and

04:41 slowly… let me say this, I am someone who is quite decidedly against lawless spaces.

04:49 I experienced this in other places, such as in Dresden Neustadt, or at the Wiener Platz

04:55 in front of Dresden’s central train station. Similarly, we will solve these

04:59 same problems in Chemnitz now. If that’s how it was, then we will do it differently

05:04 in the future. That goes without saying. And if you say, well great, but something

05:10 could have been done sooner. Agreed. I didn’t have similar experiences because my

05:14 visits to Chemnitz are quite different, but… No, thank you, thanks a lot

05:22 for pointing that out; I’m very often without security staff when I travel because

05:28 I like that much better because then I meet a lot of people and therefore, once again

05:34 we will do it differently in the future. That’s one point we no longer need to discuss.

05:38 Well, my name is Monika Krause, I’m a nurse from Chemnitz. And I would first

05:42 like to say a word in defence of you… —Of me? —Of you, because from the beginning

05:48 you were the first and only one who did not categorize all citizens of Chemnitz as Nazis.

05:55 In a short interview I heard this and I thought that was good.

06:03 It’s nice to have someone say it, because I would put on sackcloth and ashes

06:10 if it were me discrediting you. That’s just not my opinion.

06:14 Yes, you already said it, so we have to get to the bottom of it

06:18 without judging one another. I would like to say very briefly — I, too, was at Monday’s

06:23 demonstration, I went with my husband. We visited the memorial place

06:29 for the man who died. We were approached by a Spiegel TV team, I don’t know,

06:36 some may have seen me in this interview and I just wanted to say at that moment that I’m

06:42 sick of the fact that when Germans dare to say a non-German committed a crime,

06:48 they are immediately condemned as a Nazis or right wing extremists.

06:54 And briefly, I would also like to say that democracy does not work in

07:00 one direction only. There are rights, but there are just as many duties.

07:07 I work in a doctor’s office in a rural area. Madame Mayor might be familiar

07:11 with the area, Reichenheim. We’re doing fine, that’s not the question at all.

07:17 We work hard. There are many nice people in Reichenheim who

07:22 keep their streets clean we all have a good relationship with one another.

07:26 Recently, this past Sunday, we learned that the kindergarten in Reichenheim

07:30 will be closed. My children went to this kindergarten, my grandchildren would have

07:36 gone as well. It has been closed since February for renovations, which it needed.

07:40 It’s a flat-roofed building with a beautiful garden by the forest. On Sunday

07:44 there’s a short message from Radio Chemnitz, the city council has decided

07:52 that the kindergarten in Reichenheim will be closed and will not reopen.

07:56 We started a petition movement. We collected more than 700 signatures,

08:01 which was just dismissed. We met with members of parliament,

08:05 still no response. I even tried again today on my way here from work. I asked

08:09 if this was the final decision. Will the kindergarten be closed?

08:13 The answer was, “Yes, probably yes.” So and then comes the news someone

08:19 has been stabbed. You must understand that people no longer have confidence

08:23 in the government. Diligent people who do their jobs here,

08:29 who pay their taxes here and we all live on them, you both live from

08:33 our taxpayer money. And when Mr. Maas stands there and says (on TV)

08:37 the billions spent on integration aren’t taken from the German people.

08:42 Yes, the truth is, we lack even basic elements. We need new schools, we need

08:46 new teachers, we need new kindergartens, and there aren’t enough day care rooms —

08:51 there’s nothing. That’s why you have to understand why people are taking

08:55 to the streets now. It is the same reason I was demonstrating on Monday.

08:59 This really affects me; I couldn’t sleep for days. My husband tells me to calm down.

09:05 I was in the middle of the demonstrators, they were people like you and me.

09:09 I met many acquaintances: they are kindergarten teachers, doctors, lawyers;

09:15 these are all people who are who work in normal jobs, who care about Chemnitz,

09:23 who are worried and say they refuse to let their city be taken over.

09:28 We want to go into the city without fear. So when SPD delegates say — maybe a few

09:32 here know the interview I mean — they said, “What are they complaining about?

09:37 They all have work, and are lucky enough to go vacation.” That’s not the point at all.

09:46 THEY are exploiting the situation! None of the demonstration organisers

09:53 wanted them there. Explain to me please, how that could have been avoided?

09:59 I was horrified by these images that were seen nationwide, worldwide;

10:05 that was not the demonstration. The first… fireworks that went off

10:14 were from those on the right side of the Marx monument. No, the first

10:18 came from there. And then stones and bottles flew from the left side.

10:31 And then I wanted to say one more thing. I’m certainly not the bravest person,

10:35 but at no time was I ever afraid for my life during the demonstration, and

10:39 the police were never overwhelmed. That has to be said.

10:46 Well then, thank you. —For anyone who wasn’t at the demonstration, those images

10:51 make it look like a civil war had broken out. And as a democratic person,

10:59 you must admit, everything must be seen from both perspectives,

11:04 and that is not the case in this instance. It is really a pity that no one was fair enough

11:09 to admit that most of the participants in the demonstration were peaceful.

11:13 We have video footage showing the march through Chemnitz; it shows

11:18 that two-thirds were peaceful citizens. They were senior citizens, I was really

11:24 surprised to see them there, but it show just how charged the topic is.

11:33 So, I would give you politicians some advice, if I may allow myself. Please stop speaking

11:38 in half-truths, this drives people into the wrong camps. Honesty

11:45 should be on your agenda. And the journalism, I’m not sure who is directing

11:54 it, but there is no objectivity in the reporting anymore.

11:58 Minister: Now we have to think about this with each other, because I’ve heard that

12:02 two or three times now —no half-truths, telling the facts, telling the truth.

12:06 Yes, how do we do that now? Where are we going to get them?

12:10 Slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, I’m so very, first of all, as far as the

12:19 demonstrations, I believe it happened as you have described it, although

12:24 now you have to consider the following, everyone must answer this question

12:28 for themselves. If you had known that at this event, there would be people

12:33 for whom doing the Hitler salute is “normal”, then I think many people say…

12:39 There weren’t any anywhere — there was no one who showed the Hitler salute.

12:43 No, well, we have, we have the, slowly, we have a total of four, I think,

12:52 I can check it to say exactly, four people, and there were certainly no

12:57 Out of thousands? —It doesn’t matter. I don’t know why you are getting so upset…

13:04 Because we were there. — Yes, but if you were there, that can’t be argued against,

13:08 but this took place, people were there doing the Hitler salute;

13:13 it wasn’t you obviously.. —But that’s not, not all the people. —Slowly,

13:21 I don’t understand your reaction. I asked a single, I have asked a single question,

13:25 and that is whether or not we are accepting that, at an event we attend,

13:30 that we are going to, if something like this happens, and I would

13:37 always answer the question with “no”. And that’s what I said. As a result, I wish

13:45 that we could have this discussion in a rational and civilized way, as it

13:50 was said in the beginning and I have agreed already, if the topic of criminality is

13:54 something special occurring here, then we need to do something about it,

13:59 as we agreed earlier. So far, so good. This is something else.

14:06 It’s not Sunday anymore; it’s not Monday anymore, but today is Thursday, and

14:12 it begs the question whether we are able manage this by disarming the emotional

14:16 part and talking reasonably with each other, to ask important questions

14:22 so we can make some progress in the future, or should we continue

14:26 to blame each other? Yes, that I change, either. And the question, where do the

14:30 facts come from, is of course a crucial one. This is why I have requested from the police

14:38 and judiciary — you have just defended them as well, which is also important for me.

14:45 For me, the police, police officers, also public prosecutors, judges, these are

14:51 personalities I trust — unless the contrary is proven, but first I put my trust in them.

14:58 And I would like — thank you — that these people in the future would be strengthened

15:08 in their ability to inform us all of what is true and is not. So, if there are incidents

15:12 with foreigners, thefts, whatever; then we want to know that, but if that’s not the case,

15:16 we want to know it too. One thing is sure: that will be the consequence of this meeting.

15:20 Because I’m quite convinced that we have differing truths. Those circulating

15:30 on the net and the other from outside. And of course that’s deadly, because then

15:36 we accuse each other the entire time of not saying what is true. One person recognizes

15:40 this as true and the other recognizes that as true. That’s going to change.

15:45 Slowly. Shouldn’t we let the others have their say? But very short. Very short.

15:53 I think that this whole thing has escalated so much because the media have driven

15:57 it so much, and I think the state should intervene and say that there were just five

16:02 idiots who did the Hitler salute, but that was not the majority of demonstrators.

16:08 Also, if the camera were just moved a bit to the right then everyone would have seen

16:12 that there were only ordinary citizens. I cannot understand the outrage

16:16 surrounding this demonstration. It is all just a media frenzy, and I think journalism

16:24 has a very important job in a country. Sometimes it used for good

16:30 as well as for bad. In the last few years it has been more bad than good,

16:34 not just for me, but many others as well. Good evening, my name is Knupf.

16:38 I would also like to thank the Minister President

16:41 for mentioning fairness, and that is exactly what this lady said earlier;

16:47 the media coverage has been a catastrophe! My sister called me

16:54 from England. She thought we all turned into fascist racist hordes that

17:00 march through Chemnitz and hunt foreigners. And another thing,

17:05 Minister President, in the Bild newspaper on Monday, they wrote that

17:12 the official police report lists three assaults. Only three.

17:16 On Monday, my grandson was there at the demonstration, just like this lady

17:20 and sure, a few Nazis misused the event for their own purposes, but we can’t say

17:28 that normal citizens who were showing their dissatisfaction are all Nazis,

17:39 and all racists, too. And that is the problem. Let me explain… the basic

17:51 problem we have is when Pegida started marches in Dresden, they were

17:59 all called Nazis and racists too, right? The “raging citizens” had something to say;

18:11 none of it was taken seriously. After the last election, we all asked ourselves why the

18:16 AfD was so strong suddenly? So then, all those people became Nazis and racists, too.

18:20 It is a legal political party, I must add. I didn’t vote for them, but they are legal.

18:32 It’s just not right. I don’t understand it. Let me just say one more thing to the mayor.

18:38 The fact that you did not defend the citizen of Chemnitz is insulting.

18:46 Many in this city are resentful of this fact. They really resent it.

18:50 OK, now, thank you for the question. I think we have arrived at a point. I was

19:00 together with Ms. Ludwig the entire day. Yesterday as well.

19:04 I can say — and witnessed how she defended the citizens of her city multiple times.

19:11 But this is just what I have experienced. That is expected of a mayor and

19:18 that’s exactly what she did in this difficult time. But now we are back to this point.

19:23 You described what happened. So in England, in Finland, an image,

19:30 Excuse me what? Even in Ecuador. This image of how things are

19:34 (or not) has been sent. Yes, so I think we should make sure that it stops.

19:43 Slowly, Slowly, don’t get upset. We should assure that it stops,