Three years in Hanau - no forgiveness, no forgetting and no enlightenment in sight. But Hanau is everywhere.

Berlin, February 17.02.2023, XNUMX. Three years have passed since the racist and right-wing extremist attack in Hanau. That's three years without Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov. We commemorate those affected and their relatives and demand complete clarification.

"I don't want to talk today about what happened three years ago. We all know that. But even three years later, we see every day that racism is more deeply rooted in society and institutions than we see at first glance. I appeal to society: what we need is not empty words or empty phrases, but compassion and cooperation. Don't leave us alone and work with us resolutely so that no more racist incidents happen in the future. Work resolutely with us so that our children and grandchildren can grow up in Germany, their homeland, without divisions and without fear. And so that our children did not die in vain", says Serpil Temiz Unvar, founder of the Ferhat Unvar educational initiative and mother of Ferhat Unvar, who lost his life on February 19, 2020 due to racism and right-wing extremism.

February 19.02.2023th, XNUMX marks the third year of the racist and right-wing extremist attack in Hanau. First and foremost, today we commemorate those affected, bow to the incessant educational work of their relatives and remember the unforgettableness of this horrible act. Hanau has changed forever. And Hanau will have changed us forever.

But we also remember that the assassin took nine lives in Hanau due to a mixture of deadly ideologies, right-wing extremism, racism and misogyny. Less than three years later, we experience with bitterness that our lives and our experiences still don't count - as the racist opinion-making after the so-called "New Year's Eve riots" clearly showed. Hanau and the lack of visibility and sensitivity to the drastic danger of misanthropic ideologies remains a testament to the fact that racism is tolerated and bred in our society. It is their agitation that criminalizes racialized people, calls them “little pashas” and keeps the system that is racism alive – and robs the lives of racialized people.

And even after three years, as an anti-racist civil society, we are again forced to point the finger at the same problems. Because even three years after Hanau nothing has changed. There are still forces in the police who downplay threats, and right-wing extremist sentiments among them do not seem to pose a problem. The study on racism within the police that was once required has still not been implemented, not even under an SPD-led interior ministry. Even the most recently published first status report "Racism in Germany: Initial situation, fields of action, measures" by the Federal Government's integration and anti-racism commissioner, Reem Alabali-Radovan, quotes in the introduction that "these attacks (note: meant Halle 2019, Hanau 2020 and the murder of Walter Lübcke in 2019) and also reports of suspected cases of right-wing extremists and racist networks in the police or the armed forces shake trust in the state and have a massive impact on the sense of security of the population groups affected by racism.[1]"

Institutional and structural racism in (prison) authorities is everyday life. Only four months after the attack in Hanau, the police's special task force (SEK), which was deployed on the night of the crime, had to be disbanded because officers were active in right-wing, racist and sexist chat groups.[2] And so far? No one has been fired yet. Let's say it as clearly as it is: the handling and the lack of information about the attack in Hanau are a sign of poverty. It doesn't look like the state is making any effort to clarify this or that the protection of all citizens is equally important. Instead, verbal expressions of solidarity come every February 19, and then the topic is parked again for the year.

Because to this day, the relatives, the bereaved and their supporters have to find out the information about the act that stole their loved ones themselves. Thanks to their tireless work, we know that the police sealed the Arena Bar's emergency exit to allow for racial profiling-based raids. Thanks to their work, we know that the families of those affected were perceived by the police as a threat upon arrival at the scene of the crime and threatened with weapons. Or that the emergency call just didn't work the night of the crime. And because of her work, we also know that the perpetrator's father has been ambushing Serpil Temiz Unvar for three months, despite the court-ordered ban on approaching him, terrorizing the migrant community in Hanau Kesselstadt and that the security authorities are doing nothing.

The pain remains, but the memory must also be kept alive as a political act. We stand in solidarity with the personal initiatives and demands of those affected, demanding political consequences at all levels. Security authorities and countries must completely and consistently investigate right-wing extremist, racist and sexist acts of terrorism. It is long past time for a government that appoints an anti-racism commissioner to quickly question whether it is doing the job. Our position on this is clear:

No forgiveness! Don't forget! Hanau is everywhere!

The Initiative February 19, Hanau has drawn up an extensive list of demonstrations and rallies.

Be loud, take to the streets & show solidarity!

Friday, 17.02.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX

Wiesbaden I Luisenplatz I 18 p.m. I vigil

Witten I Werkstadt Witten (Mannesmannstrasse 6) I 18:00 p.m. I solidarity event

Saturday, 18.02.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX

Brunswick I Schlossplatz I 16:00 p.m. I Rally

Braunschweig I Kohlmarkt I 16 p.m. I Vigil

Bochum I 14:00 p.m. I main station

Düsseldorf I 14:00 p.m. I Oberbilker Markt

Dortmund I 16:00 p.m. I St. Catherine

Duisburg I at the forum I 14 p.m. I rally

Düsseldorf I 14:00 p.m. I Oberbilker Markt I demonstration

Erlangen | station forecourt | 17:30 | Train meeting point for the demonstration in Nuremberg

Frankfurt I 17:30 p.m. | Rathenauplatz I demonstration

Freiburg im Breisgau I 10:00 a.m. I Weingarten-Fritz-Schieler-Platz

Hamburg I Barmbek I 17:30 p.m

Ludwigshafen/Rhine I 16:00 p.m. I Berliner Platz I rally

Münster I 13:00 p.m. I Windhorststrasse I demo

Nuremberg I Rosenaupark I 18 p.m. I demonstration

Offenbach I 16 p.m. I Town Hall

Saarbrücken I Europe Gallery I 18:00 p.m. I Demonstration

Siegen I Kornmarkt, 57072 Siegen I 18:30 p.m. I vigil and joint journey to Hanau

Spandau (old town) I 13 p.m. I market square I commemoration

Sunday, 19.02.2023/XNUMX/XNUMX

Aachen I Josefskirche (East Quarter) I 18:00 p.m

Ahrensburg I town hall forecourt I 16:30 p.m. I rally

Augsburg I Königsplatz I 15 p.m. I demonstration

Bamberg I 15 p.m. I Maxplatz I Demonstration

Bensheim I start Nibelungenstrasse/end Marktplatz I 16.00 p.m. – 18.00 p.m. I rally

Berlin I Herrmannsplatz I 14:00 p.m. I commemoration and demonstration

Berlin I Herrmannsplatz I 15 p.m. I demonstration

Berlin I Oranienplatz I 14 p.m. I rally

Berlin I Marheinekeplatz I 13 p.m. I Vigil

Bielefeld I main station I 15 p.m. I demonstration

Braunschweig I Cuante Shisha Bar I 16 p.m

Bremen I City Library Gröpelingen I 14:00 p.m. I Demonstration

Bonn I Frankenbadplatz I 15.00 p.m. I demonstration

Chemnitz I 14:00 p.m. I Castle Pond Island I Rally

Darmstadt I main station I 13:30 p.m. I rally (connection to Hanau/IL Darmstadt)

Darmstadt I Darmstadt Karolinenplatz I 19:00 p.m. I Rally and vigil

Duisburg I König – Heinrich – Platz I 14 p.m. I commemoration

Erfurt I Anger triangle I 13.30:XNUMX p.m. I memorial rally

Frankfurt | Bridge of Peace | 13 p.m. I rally and joint journey to Hanau

Frankfurt I Braubachstrasse 31 I 19:00 p.m. I reading in memory of Hanau

Freiburg I square of the old synagogue I 12:00 p.m. I rally

Friedberg I 11:00 a.m. I Elvis-Presley-Platz I Friedberg I Vigil

Fulda | station forecourt | 10:00 a.m. | demonstration

Gera I City Museum Gera I 11:00 a.m. I commemorative event

Göttingen I Stadtplatz Grone (St Heinrich Straße) I 14:00 p.m. I Demonstration

Graz I main square I 18 p.m. I rally

Hanover I 14:00 p.m. I Halim-Dener-Platz I demonstration

Hanover I 14:00 p.m. I Steintor I Vigil

Hanover I Cumberland stage, State Theater Hanover I 17 p.m. I silent vigil

Heidelberg I 16:00 p.m. I City Library

Hamburg I Wilhelmsburger Platz I 13 p.m. I Demonstration

Heilbronn I Kiliansplatz I 14 p.m. I rally

Ingolstadt I am Paradeplatz I 17 p.m. I vigil

Kassel I 14:00 p.m. I Town Hall I Commemoration

Kiel I Asmuss-Bremer-Platz I 15 p.m. I memorial event

Koblenz I central square I 17:00 p.m. I commemoration event

Cologne I 14:00 p.m. I Kalk-Post I demonstration

Landau I day of action

Leipzig I 16 p.m. I District Park Rabet

Ludwigshafen/Rhine I 16:00 p.m. I Berliner Platz I rally

Lüneburg I market square I 15 p.m. I vigil

Mainz Hbf I train meeting point at 14:00 p.m. for the demonstration to Hanau

Magdeburg I Hasselbachplatz I 17 p.m. I commemoration

Mannheim I 15 p.m. I Vigil

Mannheim I Amnesty Congress I 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. I Vigil

Marburg I 11:30 a.m. I Friedrichsplatz

Munich I Königsplatz I 14 p.m. I rally

Nuremberg I 14:00 p.m. I Lorenz Church I rally

Oldenburg I train station I 14 p.m. I demonstration

Osnabrück I Nikolaiort I 14 p.m. I rally

Passau I Ludwigsplatz I 17 p.m. I memorial rally

Potsdam I Brandenburg Gate I 16 p.m. I memorial event

Regensburg I Neupfarrplatz I 15 p.m. I rally

Rostock I Doberaner Platz I 15 p.m. I memorial rally

Saarbrücken I Europe Gallery I 15:00 p.m. I Vigil

Siegen I Oberstadtbrücke I 16:00 p.m. I Silent remembrance

Siegen I Kornmarkt, 57072 Siegen I 18:30 p.m. I vigil and joint journey to Hanau

Solingen I 08:00 a.m. I main station I joint journey to Hanau

Steglitz I 11.30 a.m. I Harry-Bresslau Park I rally

Stuttgart I Old Palace I 18:00 p.m. – 22:00 p.m. I Remembrance with light projection

Stuttgart I Württembergischer Kunstverein I 15:30 p.m. I exhibition opening & memorial event

Stuttgart I Karlsplatz I 15 p.m. I memorial demonstration

Trier I Porta Nigra I 15 p.m. I rally and commemoration

Tübingen I 15:00 p.m. I market square I rally and demonstration

Villingen-Schwenningen I left center Schwenningen I 17:30 p.m. I commemoration

Vienna I Yppenplatz I 14:00 p.m. I Commemoration and taking a seat

Wiesbaden I Meeting point on platform 4a (joint journey to the demo in Hanau) I 14:00 p.m

Weimar I Goetheplatz I 17 p.m. I rally

Wuppertal-Elberfeld | Otto-Böhne-Platz | 15:00 p.m. | demonstration and rally

Wächtersbach I 11:00 a.m. I town hall Wächtersbach (castle) I vigil

Würzburg I main station I 17 p.m. I demonstration

DaMigra eV represents the interests of women migrant organizations and their concerns and advocates equal opportunities, equal participation and the equality of women with a history of migration and refugee experience in Germany. DaMigra follows the approach of anti-racist feminism.

[1] Reem Alabali-Radovan presents status report on racism | federal government

[2] Suspicious SEK officials in Hanau: cynical disinterest – taz.de