Presenter sparks debate with her support for refugees

[cronus]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/a ... t-refugees

German TV presenter sparks debate and hatred with her support for refugees

A television presenter in Germany has triggered a huge online debate after calling for a public stand against the growth of racist attacks on refugees.

Anja Reschke used a commentary slot on Tagesthemen, the nationwide news bulletin of German public broadcaster ARD,to lambast hate-filled commentators whose language she said had helped incite arson attacks on refugee homes.

She said she was shocked at how socially acceptable it had become to publish racist rants under real names.

“Until recently, such commentators were hidden behind pseudonyms, but now these things are being aired under real names,” she said.

“Apparently it’s no longer embarrassing – on the contrary, in reaction to phrases like ‘filthy vermin should drown in the sea’, you get excited consensus and a lot of ‘likes’.

“If up until then you had been a little racist nobody, of course you suddenly feel great,” she said in the two-minute commentary.

The segment went viral within minutes of being broadcast, and by Thursday afternoon had been viewed more than 9m times, clocked up more than 250,000 likes, 20,000 comments, and had been shared more than 83,000 times on Facebook.

Reschke said the “hate tirades” had sparked “group dynamic processes” that had led to “a rise in extreme rightwing acts”.

Calling on “decent” Germans to act, she said: “If you’re not of the opinion that all refugees are spongers who should be hunted down, burned or gassed, then you should make that known, oppose it, open your mouth, maintain an attitude, pillory people in public.”

(continue, good to have differing views in a debate - the natural tendency is for the German to use gas however...)

[JimC]

You know what they say about good Germans...

[mistermack]

You know what they say about good Germans...

They're a gas, man !