It's the same old game. First, people go all in on hate – with sweatpants, toy knives, and a banner that calls migrants "robbers." Then comes the big shrug: no one knows how it happened. Apologies. Internal review. Sure. The Burschenschaft Neukirchen organized the racist spectacle on their parade float – and now they're acting as if the float were some autonomous being with a guilty conscience.
But nothing about this performance was accidental. Someone painted those signs. Someone bought the sweatpants meant to mock migrant youth. Someone waved those toy knives to stoke fears that have long become political currency. And many, let’s be honest, probably thought it was hilarious. This wasn’t a slip-up. This was a mirror.
So far, no one has named any names. Neither the Burschenschaft Neukirchen nor the local authorities. In his statement, chairman Fabian Keil limited himself to a general expression of regret – no names, no responsibility, no consequences. Who put up the banners, who held the knives, who acted like they were in the comment section of an AfD Facebook group – all of that remains in the fog. Even investigations by the initiative “The Schwalm for Democracy” helped bring the incident to light but did not identify any specific individuals.
This is the structural reflex we know all too well: racism – but with local flair. With beer. With a brass band. And then a round of curated remorse for the public. This isn't some fringe scandal. This is everyday life in provincial Germany. And that’s exactly why we need to keep looking. And above all: stop pretending it was a mistake. Because those who behave this way usually mean it just like that.
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