Scandal in Germany: The left-wing government pays for demonstrations against the center-right, AfD and CDU

Next Saturday, hundreds of thousands of protesters across Germany will take to the streets to demonstrate “against the right.” What many don’t know is that the organizers of these protests are often funded, in whole or in part, by taxpayer money, the German taxpayers, even the ones of the center-right. The news portal “Nius” was the first to uncover this information, shedding light on a little-known aspect of these mobilizations; then Bild went in deep on the matter.

In some cases, the associations behind these demonstrations are also connected to politicians and their networks. BILD has provided an overview of the groups involved in organizing these protests:

1. “Munich is Colorful”

Last Saturday, up to 250,000 people gathered on the Theresienwiese in Munich to protest against right-wing extremism and the migration policies of the CDU/CSU. Key slogans included “We are the protective wall” and “Defend yourselves, resist fascism here in the country.” The event was organized by the association Before, whose president is Micky Wenngatz, a city councilor for the SPD.

Munich Protests against AfD and CDU

2. “Together Against the Right”

This network is actively mobilizing against the CDU, particularly on social media. Last Thursday, activists held protests across the country, including one in front of the CDU headquarters in Berlin. The alliance is also behind the “Uprising of the Decent,” which took place last Sunday in Berlin. The organization managing the network is Campact, based in Verden an der Aller (Lower Saxony).

An interesting detail is that Campact is the main shareholder of the non-profit organization HateAid GmbH, which has received federal government funding since 2020. To date, HateAid has received nearly 2.5 million euros from the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, led by Lisa Paus (Green Party).

3. “Grandmothers Against the Right”

Founded in 2018 and based in Nagold, Swabia, this association claims to be politically and religiously neutral. However, it explicitly excluded speakers from the CDU and FDP from its national mobilization day on February 8. The “Grandmothers” have received 18,000 euros from the “Living Democracy” program of the Ministry of Family Affairs and an additional 5,000 euros from the Federal Chancellery, as revealed in the government’s response to an AfD inquiry.

4. German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND)

While officially focused on environmental issues, BUND is actively involved in the fight against right-wing extremism. The organization co-organized the “We are the Firewall” demonstration in Stuttgart on February 1. BUND receives significant public funding: in 2023, it received a six-figure sum from the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Education, while its main sponsor is the Ministry of Economic Affairs, which transferred around 2 million euros to the organization.

Another relevant detail is that Verena Graichen, BUND’s deputy chair, is the sister of Patrick Graichen, former State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and is married to Michael Kellner, Parliamentary State Secretary under Robert Habeck since 2021. These personal connections highlight how the paths between government circles and mass protests are often shorter than one might think.

The protests against the right, therefore, are not just spontaneous expressions of civil society but often involve organizations that receive public funding and have ties to the political world. This raises questions about the neutrality and independence of such initiatives, especially when state funds are used to support politically polarizing causes.