Good Night Far Right

Right-wing conservative and neo-fascist parties and their civil society organizations have been on the political rise for years. They sit in parliaments, agitate against migrants and post themselves in front of hospitals to prevent women and doctors from performing abortions. While heavily armed right-wing terrorist organizations carry out assassinations and the former head of the German secret service is now himself an active part of the right-wing conservative milieu, anti-fascists are being criminalized. In the upcoming elections to the European Parliament, it can also be assumed that right-wing extremist parties are likely to be among the winners. Landslide victories for right-wing parties can also be expected in the upcoming local and state elections.

At the same time, the middle class is drifting rapidly towards increasingly repressive, anti-democratic policies. Europe’s systematic violation of the basic human rights of migrants, the politics of cultural and class warfare from above, the establishment of “war readiness” and the increasing suppression of critical voices in cultural and academic institutions are just the tip of the iceberg.

People and collectives around the world are getting involved and organizing against the authoritarian attacks on democratic and social rights. In Germany, large demonstrations against the right have also taken place in numerous cities under the slogan “We are the firewall”. Migrant networks are also bringing tens of thousands of people onto the streets in the fight for remembrance, education and justice and are forming broad alliances in defense of (post)migrant society.
And yet: the political and social left is currently on the defensive. So what strategies does the anti-fascism of our time need? What can and should be done to organize effective resistance and a mobilizing left-wing counter-information? How can we stop the right-wing conservative and neo-fascist enemies of democracy and disarm them in terms of content? And how can we, beyond defending the catastrophic status quo, build left-wing counter-concepts and new utopias?

We would like to approach the answers to these questions by presenting central projects of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation that are dedicated to this political challenge from an international, a European and finally also a local perspective.

The European monitoring project “Antifascist Europe” traces the intricate connections of the radical right in Europe. This anti-fascist research network, which spans almost the entire continent, provides background information on all forms of cooperation between the radical right in Europe. The aim of the project is to investigate these networks, describe their actors and ideological positions and report regularly on their developments.

The book “Beyond Molotovs — A Visual Handbook of Anti-Authoritarian Strategies”, which has just been published by Bielefeld-based publisher transcript, brings together 50 contributions from anti-authoritarian movements, activists and artists from all over the world that focus on the affective and aesthetic dimension of their strategies. From the collective art of feminist movements to conspiratorial board games and subversive internet aesthetics, the contributions open up new perspectives on moments of resistance, subversion and creativity.

The German-language study “Hält die Brandmauer? Studie zu Kooperationen mit der extremen Rechten in ostdeutschen Kommunen” (Will the levees hold? Study on cooperation with the extreme right in East German municipalities), published in March, uncovers cases of cooperation between extreme right and democratic groups at municipal level. In conjunction with the German-language booklet “Rät*innen gegen Rechts” (Councillors against the Right), anti-fascist alternatives for action and practical tips are provided and discussed in seminars.

The antifascist education module, which will be shown for the first time on the evening, focuses on antifascist strategies from their beginnings over 100 years ago to the present day. In addition to basic knowledge, it also presents arguments about various international anti-fascist approaches, groups and organizations, theories of fascism and accusations of extremism. It does not forget to ask uncomfortable questions about the current perspective of anti-racist, queer-feminist anti-fascism. A broad educational program will be presented briefly and compactly in the evening and can soon be booked at the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation.

Program

18:30 – Entrance

19:00 – Welcome

19:30 – Panel: What’s right? Transnational perspectives on authoritarianism and the far right

• Martina Renner
• Björn Ihler
• Malene Gürgen
• Hugo Fanton

Moderation: Franziska Albrecht

20:40 – Performance: STIMMLINIE

21-21:30 – Parcours:

• Antifascist Europe: Networks of the European Far Right
• Antifa, ja klar!
• Beyond Molotovs – A Visual Handbook of Anti-Authoritarian Strategies
• Young Migrants Blog

21:30 – Panel: What’s Left? Internationalism and anti-fascist strategies for the 21st century

• Hanna Grześkiewicz
• Steven Hummel
• Massimo Perinelli

Moderation: Anika Taschke

22:30-24:00 – Prosecco & Music with VEX (AL.Berlin Crew)

Translation into English will be available
In cooperation with IRGAC and Kollektiv ORANGOTANGO