The small town of Klütz, in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in northeastern , had likely never seen a demonstration of this scale. About 500 protesters — among them media representatives, writers and artists — flocked to Klütz, home to about 3,000 people, on Monday to support journalist Michel Friedman. The protest was organized by the German branch of the international writers association PEN after a planned reading by Friedman in the town was surprisingly canceled.
Friedman is a Jewish journalist, talk show host and former member of Germany’s and had previously served as vice-chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany. He was born in France but holds German citizenship.
Friedman took the stage on Monday to address his supporters, telling them: “I’m with you now, and I think we fit together very well.”
But why was Friedman’s reading canceled in the first place? Did local politicians and decision-makers prefer not to have him in their town, fearing his presence may spark far-right riots? Or is the entire affair nothing but a big misunderstanding?
Invited, then uninvited
Friedman was initially invited to read from his new book “Human! Declaration of Love by a Desperate Democrat” at Klütz’s Literaturhaus (literature house in English), a local cultural institution. Friedman had been asked to showcase his book, as well as talk about democracy and why it is under threat.
There are different accounts as to why Friedman was uninvited. What is certain is that Klütz Mayor Jürgen Mevius of the Independent Voters’ Association (UWG) told Literaturhaus representatives that municipal committees had decided they would rather not have Friedman come to town. Mevius cited financial reasons at a city council meeting, saying Friedman’s fee was significantly higher than what is ordinarily paid at Literaturhaus events.
Yet Literaturhaus director Oliver Hintz has maintained that the cost of inviting Friedman and his fee were actually covered by sponsors, rather than the town of Klütz. He says city officials had expressed concerns that Friedman’s reading might spark riots by right-wing extremists or sympathizers.
Ultimately, Mayor Mevius resigned over the affair, saying Friedman’s disinvitation had sent a “misleading signal.” He also stressed that “tolerance, diversity and freedom of opinion have always been clear guiding principles of our political work.”
Friedman story makes headlines across Germany
The cancelation of Friedman’s reading was picked up by news media all over Germany ― not least because the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is regarded as a . Elements of the party are classified as far-right extremist. A representative survey conducted by German pollster infratest-dimap in mid-September found that 38% of respondents in the state said they would vote for the in next year’s state elections, making it the strongest political force in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
The German government’s antisemitism commissioner, Felix Klein, also commented on the Friedman affair, saying that fundamental societal values had been violated when state authorities revoked the invitation expecting pushback from anti-democratic forces. Friedman himself lambasted Mayor Mevius after the canceled reading in an interview with public broadcaster NDR, accusing Mevius of “embarrassing hypocrisy.”
A peaceful protest
Yet on Monday evening, the atmosphere was peaceful in Klütz as protesters gathered in support of the journalist. After a short speech, Friedman engaged in a discussion with local residents, and then took questions from this reporter.
Why did he come to this town after being uninvited a few days earlier?
“Because I’m curious, because I want to talk to the people, rather than talk about Klütz,” Friedman replied. “I was uninvited, and I think that’s unacceptable. And my first reaction wherever I’m uninvited is to go there as fast as possible.”
The exchange was good, Friedman continued. After all, he said, he’d never made sweeping generalizations about the people of Klütz, just as he avoids generalizations about Jewish people.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Culture Minister Bettina Martin of the also attended the protest, saying uninviting Friedman was a mistake.
“This is a difficult situation for Klütz,” Martin told DW. “And in this respect, what is happening right now — a controversial debate in which many citizens are participating — marks the first step in processing this situation.”
Many locals regret the resignation of Mayor Mevius, who had been involved in municipal politics for many years. One resident told DW he was “disappointed that such upheavals” were taking place, while another man said uninviting Friedman had been a mistake, regardless who was to blame. An older woman, meanwhile, told DW that the town of Klütz was known for its far-right tendencies, saying she believed that motives had led to the uninviting of Jewish journalist Friedman.
Klütz Mayor Mevius, who has resigned, did not address the public on September 29. It will likely be some time before the town returns to peace and quiet.
This article was translated from German
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