We are here in front of the local utilities headquarters.
The fact is that since the end of
last year
we had an advert on the tram.
We've had that for a long time.
We have an advert for the army and
it says: "Do what really counts."
"Green stuff is good for you."
Above all, the colour scheme is this fancy camouflage
of the Bundeswehr.
The whole tram. And it feels
really bad to drive such a
quasi armoured vehicle through the city.
We are here so that we don't have to drive this Bundeswehr tram,
for reasons of conscience.
It is possible,
according to the constitution,
that no one has to do military service.
And an advert for the Bundeswehr is definitely military service.
And that is why we are here to express our refusal,
documented in writing, here to the management
and also to inform the works council,
so that it can check that our right is being adhered to.
That we no longer have to drive this Bundeswehr tramway.
We went
firstly to the reception, to hand over a letter
to management, requesting,
to remove the Bundeswehr tram from the vehicle fleet.
To stop bothering us,
so that we don't have to drive this thing anymore.
It is possible, for reasons of conscience,
that the employer's management rights are restricted.
That is backed up by law so far.
We have just handed over.
And then we handed over a letter to the works council, that says
that the works council should ensure that our rights are respected,
also in the future.
I don't drive this Bundeswehr tramway because,
for reasons of conscience, I refuse to do military service.
I refuse to drive such a vehicle for reasons of conscience,
because driving it I am advertising war and armament.
My colleagues have different opoinions.
Like everywhere.
One part says why, that looks totally great, it looks cool.
And the Bundeswehr is also important, because we need to be defended,
in case any bad guys invade.
And then on the other hand side, there are also a lot of colleagues,
who say: "Hey, great, I would not have the courage to do it yet,
but we'll see what happens and and we'll definitely support you."
It's mixed.
At the general staff meeting there was a lot of applause for my contribution
which almost astonished me.
It was very favourably received.
When I talk to my colleagues
it is ambivalent, of course.
There are people who were in the army.
Some also find this camouflage design, this military look,
somehow cool and great
and then of course they are completely okay with it,
to drive around in in such a vehicle.
It is part of the social discourse to say: "Yes,
Germany is back on the map again.
Of course we also have to stand up for our interests
and that with the gun in hand.
That was a slow process.
In the beginning, the soldiers were deployed
during the recent floods at the Oder
slugging sandbags,
that was the their first domestic deployment back then.
The Bundeswehr has actually not really lost anything,
both abroad and at home. But no, it's getting bigger and bigger.
And so that they can silence the the last critics, there is
such funny advertising campaigns like ‘Do what really counts’,
‘Green stuff is good for you’.
And the tram is only one example of the campaign.
The other day I ordered pizza and when it arrives,
the pizza comes in a box like this.
And the army add says:
‘Do you have what it takes?’ or something, so of course, it's funny.
So the people who come up with that
are clever, but you lose your appetite!
The military profession is being sold as a completely normal profession,
as if a soldier's trade,
killing people, would be a normal profession
and that is not true.
And then this recruitment of minors,
that Bundeswehr officers go into school classes
promoting the Bundeswehr, that all goes in the direction of militarisation.
The Bundeswehr trams have different slogans on them.
They're funny, of course, because the Bundeswehr has understood,
that it has to appeal to the young generation.
Then it says something like like ‘Green stuff is good for you’ or
‘Do what really counts.’
Slogans to move
the young generation
to sign up with them
and not become a tram driver, for example.
Or a miller. Or baker.
Or psychologist or construction worker or archaeologist or whatever.
But no, they should become soldiers.
It is actually the case that every 13th recruit
is now a minor and that
is also against international law.
The UN says, for example, that's not corret.
This is also
one of the reasons why I don't want to let this army tram drive.
We have started a petition on change.org:
"Say no to the Bundeswehr tramway".
That started quite well.
After the first day there were already 500 signatures.
Unfortunately, in the meantime, it has gone quiet a bit.
Something has to be done now, to get things moving again.
And of course Munich is not the only city where such a
Bundeswehr advert is driving around.
For this petition you can go to change.org
and enter 'Bundeswehr Tram'
and sign please.
Yes, mutiny!
I would say to everyone: Form gangs
and do what really counts.
What really counts.
And indeed,
to advance humanity as a whole
and not to engage in any petty statehood and
Kindergarten games on a
really life-threatening level.