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COVID-19 and the Pause of Far-Right Demonstrations in Germany

“The restoration of normal circumstances of pub- lic life and activity in public space will surely include renewed far-right demonstration activity. Though it may effect a pause, COVID-19 is not likely to deter the far right from their Demonstrationspolitik.”
Germany
far right
social movements
demonstrations
COVID-19

Michael C. Zeller, “COVID-19 and the Pause of Far-Right Demonstrations in Germany,” in Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Radical Right, eds. Tamir Bar-On and Bàrbara Molas (Stuttgart: ibidem-Verlag, 2020).

Author
Affiliation

Michael C. Zeller

Central European University

Published

March 2020

Abstract

In most European countries, protective measures against COVID-19 have dramatically reduced activities in public space. While these measures have a wide-ranging and diverse impact, a particular effect on far-right social movements is noteworthy. Large public gatherings are widely prohibited because of the pandemic. This deprives the far right of one of its core ac- tivities: demonstrations. Far-right movements in Germany are particularly wedded to this tactic—to the extent that Fabian Virchow refers to the cen- tral importance of Demonstrationspolitik (demonstration politics) for the German far right. Considering the many uses and advantages of demon- strations, this emphasis is unsurprising.

Citation

@incollection{Zeller2020covid,
    Address = {Stuttgart},
    Author = {Michael C. Zeller},
    Booktitle = {Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic by the Radical Right},
    Editor = {Tamir Bar-On and Bàrbara Molas},
    Publisher = {ibidem-Verlag},
    Title = {COVID-19 and the Pause of Far-Right Demonstrations in Germany},
    Year = {2020}}