The Mayor of a small German town has caused outrage, telling concerned residence their children must stay away certain areas and “not provoke” migrants to avoid sexual harassment, as well as suggesting they need not worry because German men are a “problem” too.
“In your own country? You can’t even walk in your own city anymore!” screamed horrified residents, who had gathered in Bad Schlema town hall for meeting. As the shouting continued, the Mayor even threatened to call the police to silence the furious citizens.
The town of just 5500 residences has taken in around 85 refugees so far. The heated conversation begun when an older gentleman put a question to Mayor Jens Müller, of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union party.
“I have a question regarding the school… about Physical education in the school gym”, he began. “My Granddaughter, she’s under ten — and it’s also happened in a nearby town, that’s right — the girls have been harassed by the refugee ‘children’, the ‘asylum seekers’.
“They get harassed from the windows [of the shelter] and things like that. How will this be in the summer? When the School girls wear less clothing?” the grandfather asked.
“That’s easy; just don’t provoke them and don’t walk in these areas”, responded the Mayor bluntly. Immediately, the room erupted in shock and disgust.
“Yeah, lets all keep a one meter distance. Its all so easy”, sarcastically jeered the grandfather. “You’re not allowed to walk in your own city anymore. Go home, boy. Who the hell elected you”, he cried. “The migrants come here and we’re not allowed to walk here any more!”
“What kind of Mayor is this? He should step down”, a women added. “I have already thought about moving”, said another man. “My Grandchildren are supposed to go to school here,” exclaimed the grandfather.
The Mayor suggested later that the children find a different route to the school gym, away from the migrant population, Freie Presse reports. “It’s technically not necessary for the girls to walk near the refugee shelters, there are alternative routes”, he explained, echoing the Mayor of Cologne who suggested that women adopt a “code of conduct” and keep an “arm’s length” from migrants after they attacked hundreds of women on New Year’s eve.
“It doesn’t f*ucking matter” replied a man in crowd. “We can’t let our children go [a longer route]”.
“Calm down! Am I speaking Chinese”, responded the Mayor. “This is Germany!” shouted the grandfather.
“Do you think this [sexual harassment] doesn’t exist among Germans”, said the Mayor, resorting to familiar displacement tactics.
“That has nothing to do with this. Germans go to prison for this – the perverts. But they [the migrants] don’t [go to prison]”, the man explained.
“Good. Next question”, said the mayor, attempting to dismiss the issue completely. “Now, if you do not abide by the rules, I will call the police and evacuate the meeting,” he threatened later.
However, another women queried: “I’m not right-wing, but the refugees are dressed better than Germans”.
Bad Schlema sits in Saxony, not far from the PEGIDA stronghold of Dresden. Before the town hall meeting a demonstration of around 100 people had gather outside, holding signs reading, “Merkel must go” and “arranged from the top”.
According to Freie Presse, Stefan Hartung, a local councillor from the neo-Nazi National Democratic Party of Germany (NDP) had organised the protest.
Mayor Müller described the night as “scary”. “It seems that the mood has shifted”, he said.