Action on holiday island - At Protestcamp 3.0 - first punks arrived on Sylt
With backpacks, tents, yurts, and cold drinks, the first participants of the protest camp on Sylt have arrived two days before the official start. The round six-week camp of the group "Aktion Sylt" begins here on Monday. It's 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 in this way.
Ente (19) from North Rhine-Westphalia has been there every year. She spends 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," Florian Korte, spokesperson for the Gemeinde Sylt, told the German Press Agency. The talks between the Sylt police, the Nordfriesland district, and our order office have been and are running constructively.
With the 9-Euro-Ticket, countless Punks from all over Germany traveled to the island in 2022 and caused headlines nationwide with their protest camp. But they also caused unrest among the Sylt residents and guests. Last year, the event took place under the motto "Sylt for All," and the Punks wanted to draw attention to the division of society with it.
A very small advance guard had already protested early in June on Sylt, following a video of a party in a local on Sylt that caused nationwide outrage. In the video, guests were seen shouting slogans like "Foreigners out" and "Germany for 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, told the press. The maximum 300 participants can reportedly set up their tents on a meadow in the industrial area near the airport in Tinnum from Saturday onwards and stay there until July 28. According to Slopianka, they must then move to the so-called Festival Meadow, located south of the first meadow. He did not give reasons for the move from one meadow to the other.
"All installations (tents, toilets, garbage) must be completely removed by September 6, 12 p.m.," the spokesperson said. Among the regulations are that the registrants provide chemical toilets and orderlies with white armbands or warning vests in the camp. Earlier statements from the district stated 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 of the small party reads.
It was unclear at the last minute whether the members of the Berlin branch of the APPD would live in the already registered camp of "Aktion Sylt" or start their own registration. A corresponding registration for their own action is not yet available according to the district.
Policemen from Flensburg support on Sylt.
The police also plan to accompany the registered assembly on the holiday island, as Gina Plath, spokesperson for the Flensburg Police Department, informed 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 involved and their actions for tactical reasons.
"The police are prepared to react quickly and adapt to the situation," Plath added. The police are in close contact with the town hall and the regulatory 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. Residents and tourists complained about noise, garbage, and smell. Eventually, the camp had to be cleared due to a corresponding court order.
- Ente from North Rhine-Westphalia plans to join the Punks from Uelzen, Hannover, and other parts of Germany at the Wilhelminen-Brunnen in Westerland before setting up tents for the protest camp in Uelzen.
- The protest camp, which criticizes capitalism, has become a annual tradition on the vacation island of Sylt, known as the island of the Rich and Beautiful.
- Florian Korte, spokesperson for the Gemeinde Sylt, believes that the protest camp will proceed peacefully and that talks between the Sylt police, the Nordfriesland district, and the order office have been productive.
- In 2022, countless Punks from Germany traveled to Sylt using the 9-Euro-Ticket, causing both attention and unrest among the Sylt residents and guests.
- Last year, the protest camp on Sylt was held under the motto "Sylt for All," aimed at drawing attention to the division of society.
- An advance guard of protesters had already demonstrated on Sylt in June, sparked by a video of a local party where guests were heard shouting xenophobic slogans.
- The Anarchist Pogo Party also announced "Chaostage" on Sylt from July 24 to August 13, calling for attention and action against fascism.
- The Berlin branch of the APPD had not yet decided whether they would join the already registered camp of "Aktion Sylt" or start their own registration.
- Police from Flensburg will be deployed to support the Sylt police during the protest camp, with additional forces prepared to react quickly and adapt to the situation.
- In 2021, a protest camp was authorized on a public meadow in Tinnum near the Sylt Airport, attracting participants and initiators such as "Action Sylt" and the APPD.
- Despite public protests and complaints about noise, garbage, and smell, the centrally located protest camp in front of the Westerland Town Hall and St. Nicolai Church had to be cleared due to a court order.
