Show solidarity and draw consequences

On the occasion of the second anniversary of the racist attack in Hanau, Bündnis 90 /Die Grünen Hanau and Main-Kinzig together with the state association submit an application to the party council of the Hessian Greens.

“This request does not describe a fast sprint, it describes a marathon we have to go. It is a mission, a reminder and a commitment at the same time", says Robert Erkan, city councillor of the Greens Hanau, at the party council of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Hessen. The regional association, parliamentary group and local association of the Greens Hanau, as well as the district parliamentary group and the district association Grüne Main-Kinzig had taken the second anniversary of the racist attack in Hanau as an opportunity to submit a motion on this topic. Under the title "Two years after Hanau - #SayTheirNames: Show solidarity and draw consequences”, the applicants cited measures taken and to be taken at country level in response to the horrific act. They focused on three main areas: Strengthening the victim perspective, strengthening democracy support and anti-racism work, as well as reforming the police.

"It was important for us to support the application also as a district association Main-Kinzig", said Viola Haßdenteufel, spokeswoman for the board of the Greens Main-Kinzig on the application. “In doing so, we are not only showing solidarity with the victims and relatives, but are calling for concrete measures to remedy the grievances.”

 “When a loved one is suddenly taken out of life by the senseless act of a blind racist, the world is no longer the same from one day to the next. Thereafter, additional suffering arose as a result of dealing with the authorities", says Angelika Gunkel, City Councillor of the Green Party Hanau, who submitted the application to the Party Council. The Hanau Committee of Inquiry could make an important contribution to this, Gunkel said. Furthermore, it is important to improve the police and authorities’ dealings with victims and relatives, to ensure ‘medium-term psychosocial care and psychotherapeutic care’ and to reduce bureaucratic hurdles when applying for financial support. The victim fund that had already been set up was deliberately designed in such a way that as little effort as possible was made to support the relatives.

Dr. Reiner Becker, head of the Democracy Center at the University of Marburg, was also invited to the meeting of the party council, who explained the connection between combating racism and strengthening democracy in his keynote speech. The Greens also want to ‘strengthen democratic resilience’, the motion states. It was therefore necessary to ‘institutionalise anti-racism work in all Hessian schools’ and to support educational initiatives and, for example, the University of Marburg’s Democracy Centre. The education initiative Ferhat Unvar praises the Greens as an example.   

Another pillar to strengthen trust in the institutions of the democratic system, the Greens see in the urgently needed police reform. This has already started, working conditions are being improved and awareness-raising on issues such as racism and right-wing extremism in education and training is being sought. The process will take a long time. In addition, an independent citizen and police officer, who is based at the state parliament and who independently informs about maladministration in the authorities, is to be appointed.

The quote by Cetin Gültekin, introduced by Vanessa Gronemann, chairwoman of the Hanau Committee of Inquiry, and Robert Erkan, could only be agreed with: ‘Remembering means changing’. The motion was unanimously approved by the delegates.