Screaming demonstrations and anger from citizens of a southern German city against the vast powers of their government and the national rail service, Deutsche Bahn, is bringing on a grassroots revolution reminiscent of scenes from the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall.
The proposition for a huge, modern, multi-billion dollar underground railway station in Stuttgart, Germany, which would operate as a new mega commuting hub in the centre of Europe, and has been in the planning for fifteen years, is being met by passionate disdain by the working and middle classes of the city who are raising their fists in unison against it.
Centring in a town known internationally as the birthplace of automobile giants Porsche and Mercedes Benz and as a wealthy, conservative centre of south-west Germany, this project, named Stuttgart 21, is starkly contrasting the populous of 600, 000 from the people to the powers.
The Rising Costs Cause Rising Anger- 50,000 March in Unison against Stuttgart 21
On August 27, 2010, an estimated fifty thousand protestors marched through the streets of Stuttgart, disrupting traffic and train services, demanding to be heard. One of the primary reasons for the movement is the massive amounts of money being spent on Stuttgart 21, and the fact people believe they have not been revealed the full figures.
“The money to be spent on Stuttgart 21 has been officially quoted as 4.8 Billion Euros though it could be much more. Over time this could cost more than ten billion Euros” said member of the international Socialist Alternative organisation, SAV, Torsten Sting, “Following the (Global Economic) crisis, all the German states said they had no money for social improvement. The train company could improve the rail systems, but instead they spend all the money on this crazy concept. People are very angry.”
The brain-child of big businesses, Stuttgart 21 would offer web-like train-line services to Budapest, Paris and all over Germany, quickening the already existing connections. This would mean the destruction of Stuttgart’s historic parks, main station, and for some, their basic way of living.
“The worst thing is nobody knows what is going on. It is a project which was planned over fifteen years ago, why is it viable now? All the contracts have been undersigned,” accused Stuttgart expert and protestor Oskar Dieterich.
Where the Project Stands- Demolition Crews Wait in Tow
Protests against the project are being held every day, attempting to halt the demolition of the cities main train station, a heritage building opened in 1922 which has been nominated for a place on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list. The first groundwork of destroying the building came to fruition last week, in a day which was labelled as “Tag X” (Day X) by protestors. It led to demolishers removing a large section from the north side of the building.
“The first hole was kind of a sign from the companies to show they mean business, that they will go ahead with this project,” spoke Mr Sting, “It will be important that we make bigger blockades to stop further work being done.”
In 2007, 67,000 people signed a petition that for the go-ahead of Stuttgart 21 to occur, it should be put to a public vote. This was thrust into a sea of red-tape and ignored by politicians, and Stuttgart 21 proceeded to go ahead without the majority of the townsfolk backing it.
“This undemocratic behaviour is making people very unhappy” said Mr Sting.
Fighting the Power- The Police Numbers Spell Business
Within the last week, protestors have chained themselves to demolition equipment, climbed past police barricades into the rubble of the main stations north side, and yelled chants and war-cries like “LÜGEN PACK!” (in English roughly, “Pack of Liars”) to disrupt a speech by the town’s mayor which caused him to leave the stage during the opening of the cities Wine Festival.
Every 24 hours over 300 police rotate in shifts around the main station, coming in from all over the German state of Baden Württemberg.
A large number for what police officers have said has been a “mostly peaceful” protest, with no serious arrests being noted.
“The people are against what’s happening here, not against us, the police. They are generally friendly” said a Baden Württemberg police officer who preferred not to be named.
Though, three days prior when a group of protestors had ascended the roof of the main station carrying placards and banners and proceeded to sit there for over twenty-four hours, the police were not so lenient in their views. The rooftop demonstrators were removed by a special force of balaclaven undercover officers, called the SEK, in a series of heavily overstated manoeuvres which appeared more like the eradication of Terrorism, than that of a peaceful protest.
How Will it All End?
“At the moment, people are optimistic the project will be stopped,” Said Mr Sting, “More people will come and protest. Every week, the numbers are increasing. The working class movement must come to action. The metal union and the public sector union should make strikes. When the politicians and big companies are afraid, it will be like a little revolution.”
Protests continued this week, though pelting rain continued to fall, with a massive Monday demonstration; a German tradition kept from the days when people were shouting, “Bring down the wall!” rather than, “Stop Stuttgart 21!”
Further Sources:
The Project "Stuttgart 21" - http://www.stgt.com/stuttgart/stgt21e.htm
Bahnprojekt Stuttgart - http://www.bahnprojekt-stuttgart-ulm.de/default.aspx
Der Spiegel Online - http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,713375,00.html
Matthew Garrick - A writer and radio broadcaster by love and by trade. In recent times Matthew has been perched in the centre of Vilnius, Lithuania, writing ...
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