BERLIN — A surge in xenophobic attacks and hate speech targeting asylum seekers in Germany is igniting a firestorm in the nation where the Nazis taught the dangers of intolerance. Prominent personalities have condemned the attacks as well as a recent rash of public vitriol on social media and elsewhere. Anja Reschke, an anchorwoman for German public broadcaster ARD, for instance, touched off a national debate after an on-air commentary blasting refugee bashing. Soon after airing, the segment went viral, with 15 million hits and counting.
In it, Reschke bluntly said what many others here have feared to — condemning the haters as well as calling out those Germans who have remained silent. To make her point, she used the terminology of the Nazi era, earning a bravo from some while angering others.
“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 very clearly,” she said in her commentary.
Poster Comment:
It appears the Germans need to build another wall, this one to keep the global gutter scum out.