Action on Sylt - At Protestcamp 3.0 - first punks arrived on Sylt
With backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and cold drinks, the first participants of the protest camp on Sylt have arrived two days before the official start. The "Aktion Sylt" group's round six-week camp begins here on Monday. This is the third summer that punks from all over Germany have pitched their tents here to criticize capitalism on the island of the Rich and Beautiful.
Ente (19) from North Rhine-Westphalia has been there every year. She passes the time with other Punks - among them Phil (18) and Sari (17) from Uelzen, as well as Knolle (20) from Hannover - at the Wilhelminen-Brunnen in Westerland until the tent setup in the camp begins.
The community of Sylt remains calm
"We assume that the protest camp will proceed peacefully. The talks between the Sylt Police, the Nordfriesland District, and our ordinance office have been and are running constructively," Florian Korte, spokesperson for the Gemeinde Sylt, told the German Press Agency. The ordinance office will, as in previous years, control whether the regulations are being followed.
Uncountable Punks from all over Germany had traveled to the island with the 9-Euro-Ticket in 2022 and had made headlines nationwide with their protest camp. However, they also caused unrest among the Sylt residents and guests. The previous year's event took place under the motto "Sylt for all," and the Punks wanted to draw attention to the division of society at the time.
A small advance guard had already protested at the beginning of June on Sylt, following a video of a party in a local establishment on Sylt that caused nationwide outrage. In the video, guests could be seen shouting slogans like "Foreigners out" and "Germany for the Germans" during the song "L’amour toujours."
The Anarchist Pogo Party also plans action
"The protest camp is starting, as far as we know, as announced," Hans-Martin Slopianka, spokesperson for the Nordfriesland District, said. Starting on Saturday, the maximum 300 participants are therefore allowed to set up their tents on a meadow in the industrial area near the airport in Tinnum and stay there until July 28. According to Slopianka, they must then move to the so-called Festwiese, located south of the first grassy area. He did not mention reasons for the move.
"All installations (tents, toilets, trash) must be completely removed by September 6, 12 p.m.," the spokesperson said. Among the regulations are that the registrants provide chemical toilets and have warders with white armbands or warning vests in the camp. Earlier statements from the district indicated that the protest camp on Sylt was registered for the period from July 22 to September 1.
The Anarchist Pogo Party of Germany (APPD) had recently announced "Chaostage" from July 24 to August 13 on the North Sea island via Instagram. "It's about to start! Alert Alert Sylt Sylt Sylt! Alert Alert Antifascist!" the post from the small party reads.
It was unclear at the last minute whether members of the Berlin branch of the APPD would occupy the already registered camp of "Aktion Sylt" or start their own registration. A corresponding registration for their own action is not yet available at the district level.
Policemen from Flensburg support on Sylt
The police plan to accompany the registered assembly on the holiday island, as Gina Plath, spokesperson for the Flensburg Police Department, told the dpa. "The Flensburg Police Department will deploy additional forces to support the Sylt police station." Plath could not make any statements about the number of forces and the actions of the officers due to tactical reasons.
"The police are prepared to react quickly and adapt to the situation." According to Plath, the officers are in close contact with the town hall and the registration authority. In addition, there is a regular exchange with the organizers of the protest camp.
Last year, a protest camp was authorized on a public meadow in Tinnum near the Sylt Airport for approximately two months. Among the participants and initiators were the group "Action Sylt" and members of the APPD.
Centrally and in a park directly in front of the Westerland Town Hall, as well as in front of St. Nicolai Church, protesting punks had camped for weeks against the development of Sylt. Locals and tourists complained about noise, trash, and smell. Eventually, the camp had to be dismantled following a corresponding court order.
- Despite the pending protest camp, the residents of Sylt remain hopeful for peaceful proceedings, as stated by Florian Korte from the Gemeinde Sylt.
- Ente from North Rhine-Westphalia, along with Phil and Sari from Uelzen, and Knolle from Hannover, are among the punks who have been gathering at the Wilhelminen-Brunnen in Westerland before the tent setup.
- Last year's protest camp on Sylt made headlines nationwide, attracting punks from across Germany with the 9-Euro-Ticket, creating a mix of peaceful protests and unrest among the local residents and guests.
- In response to a controversial video showing guests shouting racist slogans at a local establishment, a small advance guard of protesters began demonstrating on Sylt earlier in June.
- The Anarchist Pogo Party, with its motto of "Chaostage" from July 24 to August 13, has announced its plans to join the protest camp on North Sea island, raising concerns about potential chaos.
- The Police Department of Flensburg has confirmed its support to the Sylt police station, deploying additional forces to ensure safety during the protest camp.
- The Anarchist Pogo Party of Germany (APPD) had registered their own action, "Chaostage," on the Festwiese, located south of the first grassy area after the protest camp's initial location reaches its capacity.
- The North Rhine-Westphalia District's Order Office will control the regulations' adherence at the protest camp, ensuring that all installations, such as tents and toilets, are removed by September 6.
- The "Aktion Sylt" group has set up their protest camp for six weeks in Hannover with the purpose of criticizing capitalism, marking their third summer of hosting protests on Sylt.
- Located in the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, the German Press Agency has reported on the protests and developments surrounding the protest camp on North Friesland Island, providing updates on the situation to a national audience.
