100,000 remember Liebknecht and Luxemburg

Issue 

100,000 remember Liebknecht and Luxemburg

BERLIN — The traditional January 9 march to the graves of Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg, the revolutionary Communist leaders murdered in 1919 on the orders of the Social Democrats, attracted 100,000 people.

Liebknecht and Luxemburg had been Social Democrat members of parliament in the Reichstag until they split to form a communist party. Liebknecht was the son of Social Democrat leader Wilhelm Liebknecht, a contemporary of Marx. Rosa Luxemburg came from Poland, where she was active in revolutionary politics.

On January 9, two demonstrations went to the Friedrichshain graveyard. One was organised by the Party of Democratic Socialism, the reformed ruling party of the German Democratic Republic. The other demonstration was organised by various left radical groups.

Red flags and banners were present from the Social Democrats, the PDS, Stalinists and Maoists. The anarchists and autonome movements were also present.

The left radical demonstration was attacked brutally by police, with 39 detained for "rioting", hiding their faces or waving the flag of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party.

If you like our work, become a supporter

Green Left is a vital social-change project and aims to make all content available online, without paywalls. With no corporate sponsors or advertising, we rely on support and donations from readers like you.

For just $5 per month get the Green Left digital edition in your inbox each week. For $10 per month get the above and the print edition delivered to your door. You can also add a donation to your support by choosing the solidarity option of $20 per month.

Freecall now on 1800 634 206 or follow the support link below to make a secure supporter payment or donation online.