ExtremismIn Germany, Vaccine Fears Spark Conspiracy Theories

Someone has written the words “vaccine contents” in yellow chalk on the footpath along the banks of the Rhine River in Cologne. A few meters further on, an inconspicuous-looking woman adds “GG,” short for the German word for Basic Law, the country’s constitution, and then strikes a line through the two letters. Nearby, in the shadow of the Cologne Cathedral, people have gathered in an authorized protest “for basic rights, against compulsory masks and vaccinations, against coronavirus staging and the Gates Foundation.”

But instead of the expected fifty participants, only a handful have shown up on this Monday evening. The designated speaker uses a microphone to address the small crowd, her words nearly drowned out by the shouts of dozens of counterdemonstrators telling her to “Shut up!” Later on, down by the riverbanks, a few dozen people gather near the chalk markings to form a human chain.

In a statement that evening police say the protests went smoothly, praising the fact that COVID-19 protection measures “did not counter freedom of expression and the right of assembly.” In recent weeks, similar rallies have seen several attacks against journalists, along with people disregarding distancing regulations. Some rallies weren’t even registered with police ahead of time.

Hour of the Anti-Vaxxer
The increasing number of gatherings in German cities, some under the motto “Resistance 2020,” have attracted all sorts of supporters: people who belong to the far-right Reichsbürger movement, conspiracy theorists, liberals and people from the neo-right — and increasingly, those who support the anti-vaccine movement.

“Of course, vaccination is the best way to counter this pandemic,” said Jan Rathje, an expert on anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories at the Amadeu Antonio Foundation in Berlin. “The idea that compulsory vaccinations will be carried out in the future is quite widespread among conspiracy theorists.” He told DW that some of the people taking to the streets believe that vaccines are “harmful to the individual,” and that ultimately they aren’t any good for society.

According to a French online survey of parents in five European countries, Germany has a relatively high proportion of people who refuse vaccinations, when compared with the other nations; nearly 3% absolutely refuse to have their children vaccinated. The German Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) says that around 20 percent of the population is skeptical when it comes to vaccines. However, a survey conducted by the BZgA shows that attitudes toward vaccinations are becoming increasingly positive in the country.