TFP Pro-life Caravan Receives Growing Support and Anger from the Left
On July 29, TFP Student Action Europe volunteers went on a pro-life tour across Germany and Austria. Our caravan of traveling activists was met with much support and opposition.
However, this pro-life tour was different from previous ones. There seemed to be much more receptivity to our message due to the growing pro-life movement in Germany. New pro-life marches are popping up in cities like Paderborn and Osnabrück. Pro-life activists recently blocked a pro-abortion candidate for the German Supreme Court from the office.[1]
“Unfortunately, They’re Allowed to be Here”
The first TFP Student Action campaign was held in the city of Mainz. The band of bagpipes, drums and a brass played music to the curious crowds, while others shouted pro-life slogans. At times, the group prayed the rosary for an end to abortion. TFP volunteers also handed out pro-life leaflets to the interested locals.
Soon local Antifa members arrived on the scene. They insulted TFP volunteers and tried to start a fight. The police arrived soon after and one officer showed his support for Antifa by telling them: “Unfortunately, they’re allowed to be here.”
This incident was just the beginning of several cases of bias and interference from police and city officials against our caravan. During this campaign, many people were shocked at how badly the Antifa group behaved with its shouting and blaspheming. One protestant young man was so struck by the contrast that he stood in solidarity with us for the rest of our campaign.
During this caravan, we saw many instances of people who were pro-life spontaneously joining us in debating with people who were verbally attacking our campaign.
One example of this occurred when we campaigned in the business district of Frankfurt. One man received a pro-life flyer but ripped it up and threw the pieces at a TFP member. At that moment, a gentleman stepped in telling the pro-abortion advocate that he had no right to do this and telling him to respect us.
In Stuttgart, City Hall Tries Intimidation Tactics
The following day, we campaigned in Wurzburg, where there was much support from the locals. One older gentleman was especially enthusiastic since he was active in the local pro-life movement.
However, we soon experienced the anger of local city officials who intimidated and prevented us from doing campaign. In Stuttgart, for example, the campaign went well, until the police arrived…
The intimidation started when the police asked us to move to the corner of the plaza. Then, a policeman filmed us as we prayed and played music. More police arrived and surrounded us and took down our personal information.
Even more police arrived encircling us. The reason given for the action was that the TFP red capes represented a uniform which is against federal law. We pointed out the everyone was wearing different ties and blazers under the capes and thus it was hardly a uniform. However, it seems someone in city hall did not like the campaign and did everything he could to shut it down.
In Augsburg, Antifa Activists End up in Handcuffs
As the caravan moved to new cities, we continually upset the local leftists who would scramble to form counter-protests. In Augsburg, a small group of rainbow flag-waving counter-protesters formed across the street from our campaign. The police obliged them to move further away, and they clearly didn’t have much dynamism.
After the campaign ended we were walking back to our vans, when suddenly, a group of about eight Antifa members came up from behind and provoked us. They quickly became aggressive — pushing and threatening to steal our things. The police intervened, blocking some of them. However, one antifa activist stole a TFP beret and while another snatched a camera and ran away in different directions. After a chase, the TFP members retrieved the stolen items, and the police quickly arrested the attackers. The volunteers went to the police station afterwards and pressed charges.
The mobile campaign was led through the city of Vienna from the Hofburg, accompanied by a brass band.
In Vienna, TFP Campaign Divides the Public
The final leg of the caravan was in Austria, where the TFP volunteers campaigned in Salzburg and Vienna. In the Austrian capital, the public was very divided on the issue. The campaign provided a beautiful image as the TFP band slowly marched down the street to the Hofburg, the former imperial palace of the Hapsburg monarchs, with bagpipes and drums playing.
Another step in the right direction
TFP Student Action Europe is making an impact in Germany and Austria as this caravan revealed.
We saw four results from this caravan:
1. We saw much more support from the public, which included people spontaneously joining us, giving donations and engaging in the debates with pro-aborts.
2. We also experienced much more interference from the leftist State officials who are desperate to stop us from influencing the public.
3. The methods of intimidation from the leftist activists like Antifa are no longer working. The public rejects their bullying tactics as we saw in Augsburg. Even other less aggressive leftists were trying to stop them.
Through the help of God and Our Blessed Mother we can win this battle to defend the unborn in Germany and Austria.
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