By Gunnar Schupelius
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the importance of the armed forces returned to public awareness. It’s particularly absurd that the Bundeswehr in Berlin is being impressed by left-wing disruptive actions, says Gunnar Schupelius.
June 17th is “Bundeswehr Day”. The barracks open their doors at ten locations in Germany. “We cordially invite visitors to get an idea of their armed forces and the people who, in uniform or in civilian clothes, contribute to the security of Germany and our allies every day,” writes Inspector General Eberhard Zorn.
Only the Berliners will not be able to get an idea of their armed forces on June 17, because the Bundeswehr is avoiding the capital. There is no official reason for this.
Militant left-wing extremists claim on the Internet that they made sure that the soldiers in Berlin no longer made public appearances. A spokesman for the “Day without the Bundeswehr” initiative also claimed this in the daily newspaper “taz”.
Did the Bundeswehr actually withdraw because of the left disrupters? We asked the Federal Ministry of Defense. When we asked very precise questions, we only received very vague, evasive answers: “The selection of locations is based on the availability of personnel, material and other resources each year,” a spokeswoman told us.
When asked whether a Bundeswehr day had already been planned in Berlin, the answer was yes, but it had not been able to take place in the last three years due to the “corona pandemic”. This answer may not be entirely correct, because in 2022 there was Bundeswehr Day again, for example in Warendorf near Münster.
We wanted to know whether the defense minister thought it appropriate to offer a Bundeswehr Day in Berlin. This question remained unanswered.
Everything indicates that the soldiers in Berlin deliberately do not want to show themselves. A “Bundeswehr Day” was planned for 2020 in Tegel. After left-wing extremists had mobilized against it, the event was to be moved to the Leber barracks before it was completely canceled due to the Corona rules.
In previous years, the left-wing scene, with its constant disruptive maneuvers and demonstrations, had already ensured that the recruits’ public oaths were banned from public view and disappeared from the roll call square at the Ministry of Defence.
Hatred of the Bundeswehr has a long tradition in Berlin and was fueled by politicians. MPs from the Greens and the Left regularly demanded that officers should no longer be sent to high schools to inform students. The Berlin SPD chairman Raed Saleh joined the boycott.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine changed the mood. The armed forces are once again seen as urgent, even by those who previously disagreed.
Against this background, it is particularly absurd that the Bundeswehr in Berlin backs away from a few activists.
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