More then one year ago the city of Munich presented itself to the world as a harbor for stranded refugees. Angela Merkel asked Hungarian and Austrian politicians to let through asylum seekers desperately looking forward to a better future. Those who fled were warmly welcomed by Munich citizens. One year later though in November Munich citizen’s once again show how they like refugees to be treated. Six neighboring parties filed a law suit against the city of Munich forcing a ‚noise-protection-wall‘ to be built to protect themselves from refugees that are supposed to move in next door.
The first snow has fallen in Munich. Refugee Struggle for Freedom activists were evicted on November 5th. A picture shows up on Munich regional newspapers: A wall. Snow is falling in front of it. Angry neighbors have forced the city to build a wall between them and a future refugee shelter. The neighbors pretend that this is just a ‘noise protection wall’. The wall is four meters of height, built out of metal cages with filled with small stones. The last pieces still have to be put together. Small holes are left to look through. Between the next houses and future refugee shelter there is an old train track covered up by bushes und trees. Whilst documenting the wall two camera teams showed up. Their interview partner: One of the six neighbors filing the law suit. Stefan Reich, judge at the Landesgericht – state’s supreme court. Explaining widely that this has nothing to do with racism and that he just wants that it stays as peaceful as it is when ‚they‘ arrive.
The housing units are almost finished. First unaccompanied minor refugees are supposed to move in this week. The wall has been hit by spraypainting. One can hardly read what it says. Construction workers have covered it with euro-pallets.
According to pictures published by newspaper Abendzeitung the Graffito says: ‘RASSISMUS PUR’. In the area around the future wall racist and far-right stickers of the Identitarian movement can be found. They start at the bus stop and lead into the neighborhood.
Civil courage is needed to prevent that the already worldwide in newspapers reported about racist incident stays unanswered. Munich activists have filed an online petition against the wall.