Translation:
People who do not want to participate at all, they know enough about the left-wing collecting movement #Aufstehen or #Standup initiated by Sahra Wagenknecht and Oskar Lafontaine, and have been commenting on blogs and in debates for days. The ones who want to join or perhaps would like to know more about it. On Thursday evening, potential supporters met at the »Anti-War-Café« in Berlin, people who still have questions.
No one here has direct contact to Wagenknecht, the faction leader of the party The Left in the Bundestag or her husband Lafontaine, who leads the parliamentary faction in Saarland. It’s also hard to imagine the politician couple in the basement room with the rainbow flag for peace. But after all, people here feel attracted by the project, that by intra-party opponents of Wagenknecht and Lafontaine has been criticized for having so far a purely digital advertising presence.
Here they are looking for a bipartisan movement that puts social, peace and environmental issues on the agenda in a combined fashion – and at they are at least partially optimistic that #Aufstehen (#Standup) could be this very movement. Heiner Bücker from the Anti-War-Café, who has invited for the discussion, considers the approach „personally promising“ – perhaps it could be linked to the success of the movement of British Labor politician Jeremy Corbyn.
However, a „manifesto“ is missing so far – this is to be published on 4 September. Until then, it seems hardly possible to communicate with the initiators and make any proposals. More than 50,000 people are said to have registered on the website www.aufstehen.de to show they are „part of the movement“ or even just to be informed. But there is no „feedback,“ soneone says.
A young woman who is working in the office of a member of Bundestag of the party Die Linke makes it clear that she will only participate if the „movement“ does not constantly focus on the refugee policy as the main problem. This is an »AFD argument«. (Alternative for Germany-rightwing Party polls 17%) As a member of the Left Party group Berlin-Wedding she blames the media rather than Wagenknecht and Lafontaine. Both would have differentiated and clearly named the causes of the refugee crisis. Many in the media would, however, select headlines that suggest a proximity to the AFD, a young man says. „Why is the leader of the the Left Party (Sahra Wagenknecht) not abe to express herself in such a way that leftists stand behind the (movement) and do not get get at each others throat?“ asks another guest angrily. On Monday, Wagenknecht had distanced herself in a guest contribution for the Northwest newspaper from „the resentment of the AfD and at the same time from the general moral of a limitless welcome culture.“ But she expressed support for „the many volunteers in civil society who care about the integration of the refugees.“ In the Anti-War Café, two attendees say they have taken in refugees in their apartments. For the to stand up seems to be at least an option.
Victor Grossman, who looks back on a long political life, is torn. „If it works, it’s wonderful, but there are also dangers,“ says the 90-year-old, who deserted from the US Army as a young Communist in Bavaria, (in southern Germany). Later, he studied journalism in the GDR (East Germany) and today considers himself a „Left within the Left.“ In the worst case scenario the Left Party can split, without really creating a new movement, so Grossmann.
Jazz musician Paul Teschner simply suggests to set up a grassroots group, writing down suggestions and sending them to the initiators of #Aufstehen (#Standup): „Here, guys – do you even want to listen to what we have to say?“ That’s the best way to find out. Any further meeting for those interested should follow anyway.
