Dear students,

We have received sporadic criticism regarding a workshop that we offered together with the Rote Hilfe as part of our Climate Festival. Since this is a topic of great importance to us, we would like to say a few words about it.

The Rote Hilfe supports political activists who are affected by police and legal persecution as a result of protests or other activism for social justice; among other things, the Rote Hilfe helps pay legal costs of these activists from its member-financed funds and organizes contact to lawyers. The importance of the task that it takes on in this way is made clear by the repeated attempts of the security apparatus to restrict the activities of left-wing, especially anti-capitalist and anti-fascist activists. The massive legal and police possibilities that arise from §129 of the German Criminal Code/Strafgesetzbuch (i.e., the accusation of “forming a criminal organization”), even when there is little or no evidence, can be seen time and again – most recently, for example, in the massive, unprovoked raids against the climate movement. Furthermore, the support of activists who face legal repression as a result of protest and engagement is of fundamental importance for enabling critical political participation in the first place, and thus equally important for democracy itself. Anyone who doubts the right to effective criminal defense to such an extent that he tries to discredit an organization like Rote Hilfe should urgently question both his own values and his own understanding of democracy.

In the student body of Göttingen, political activism for climate justice, against fascism and racism, for feminism and the rights of LGBTIQ* persons is fortunately widespread. Supporting people affected by repression against such activism is therefore one of our tasks as the AStA, one of our responsibilities toward the students. Consequently, providing information in cooperation with the Rote Hilfe is something we absolutely see as a part of these tasks. People who do not feel committed to the values mentioned and who therefore have a problem with the advocacy of others for a more just society will predictably see this differently; however, they will have to come to terms with it, because the positive reception of our Climate Festival, the Queer Weeks and other events clearly shows us the direction in which the student body is tending here.

Therefore we can unreservedly encourage you to support the Rote Hilfe if you have the means to do so. If you want to get more information, you can do so here: https://www.rote-hilfe.de/ueber-uns/