{"id":774,"date":"2026-01-18T20:57:58","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T20:57:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marlas.army\/?p=774"},"modified":"2026-01-23T04:54:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T04:54:35","slug":"ich-war-fluechtlingshelferin-und-selbst-die-seebruecke-wollte-uns-nicht-dabeihaben","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/ich-war-fluechtlingshelferin-und-selbst-die-seebruecke-wollte-uns-nicht-dabeihaben\/","title":{"rendered":"I helped refugees \u2014 and even \u201cSea Bridge\u201d didn\u2019t want us involved."},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ich war 2016\/17 Fl\u00fcchtlingshelferin \u2013 und musste mich als Mann ausgeben\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8PW2H5vNLGA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There are things that no longer fit into people\u2019s picture today.<br>And that\u2019s exactly why I\u2019m saying this as clearly as it is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2016\/2017, I was actively helping refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not as a symbol.<br>Not as \u201cposting a heart and feeling good about ourselves.\u201d<br>But for real \u2014 on the street, with real tasks, real people, and real work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And during that time, I experienced something that still shows today just how dishonest a large part of the so-called \u201cwelcome movement\u201d really was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">We meant it seriously \u2014 and that was exactly the problem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back then, I gathered a few people.<br>We wanted to help. Really help.<br>We didn\u2019t just want to \u201csupport\u201d something or \u201craise awareness.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We wanted to actively support this work \u2014 without a big stage, without self-promotion, and without government funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That\u2019s exactly where the difference was:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The big organizations, the Sea-Watch crowd, all those initiatives \u2014 they never meant it seriously.<br>It was never about the people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was about the funding.<br>About grants.<br>About government money.<br>About securing the right spot in the NGO network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I realized very quickly back then:<br>If you mean it seriously, you become dangerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not to \u201cthe right.\u201d<br>But to your own scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Volunteering? For us, yes. For the others: only if it\u2019s paid.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our work was voluntary.<br>We did it because we genuinely believed it was the right thing to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s exactly why we were a thorn in their side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because we ripped their mask off \u2014 without even trying to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because when people show up who actually do something, it suddenly becomes obvious how much of the rest is just a performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">They didn\u2019t want to protest with us \u2014 so we had to organize our own demonstration<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We actually wanted to protest together.<br>We wanted to join them, march along, and help bring attention to the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But they didn\u2019t want that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They didn\u2019t want us in their ranks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So there was only one solution left for us:<br>We had to organize our own demonstration in our city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And I still remember that demonstration to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The organized Sea Bridge protest was bigger \u2014 and nobody reported on us<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sea Bridge demonstration was bigger, yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Maybe 150 people. Maybe 200.<br>They had structures, contacts, and their own media connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it was reported on \u2014 on <strong>Dubis Halle<\/strong>, that regional page from Halle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">About us? Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not a single photo.<br>Not a single sentence.<br>Not a single mention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As if we had never existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And then came the moment that still affects me today<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Facebook post about the Sea Bridge demonstration went online, something interesting happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the comments, people wrote, roughly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYeah, I saw them\u2026 they were completely insane, what they were demanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But \u2014 they didn\u2019t mean the Sea Bridge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They meant us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because we were more consistent.<br>Because we made tougher demands.<br>Because we didn\u2019t use that watered-down NGO language \u2014 we spoke plainly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And that\u2019s exactly why we were labeled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not as committed.<br>Not as serious.<br>But as \u201ctoo much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">If you\u2019re too consistent, you\u2019ll get pushed out by your own scene.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is something I still haven\u2019t forgotten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Because it was one of those moments\nwhen I realized how this game really works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">You\u2019re allowed to be \u201cfor refugees\u201d \u2014\nbut only in a way that doesn\u2019t hurt anyone.<br>You\u2019re allowed to \u201cshow values\u201d \u2014\nbut only inside the approved corridor of opinions.<br>You\u2019re allowed to help \u2014\nbut only in a way that ensures the funding\nand the media attention stay in the right hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you really want to change something,\nyou\u2019re no longer welcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">It still makes me sad to this day<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m not saying this because I want to please anyone.<br>And I\u2019m not saying it to bring up old stories\nthat nobody wants to hear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I\u2019m saying it because it\u2019s true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It still makes me sad that back then,\nwe were not taken seriously.<br>That we were ignored.<br>That people preferred to report on the big, \u201cclean,\u201d funded structures \u2014\nand not on those who truly meant it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And it is one of the reasons\nwhy I see many things differently today than I did back then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not because I \u201cswitched sides.\u201d<br>But because I learned\nhow this system really works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-in-marla-we-trust-marlas-army wp-block-embed-in-marla-we-trust-marlas-army\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"7V0Ii3jfeq\"><a href=\"https:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/exil-aus-politischen-grunden\/\">Exile for political reasons<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8222;Exil aus politischen Gr\u00fcnden&#8220; &#8211; In Marla We Trust - Marlas Army\" src=\"https:\/\/marlas.army\/exil-aus-politischen-grunden\/embed\/#?secret=6vOTYZp7VZ#?secret=7V0Ii3jfeq\" data-secret=\"7V0Ii3jfeq\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-in-marla-we-trust-marlas-army wp-block-embed-in-marla-we-trust-marlas-army\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"aB6NaJNqQJ\"><a href=\"https:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/ich-war-fluechtlingshelferin-2016-und-ich-wurde-mit-einem-maennernamen-angesprochen\/\">Ich war Fl\u00fcchtlingshelferin (2016) \u2013 und ich wurde mit einem M\u00e4nnernamen angesprochen<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden;\" title=\"&#8222;Ich war Fl\u00fcchtlingshelferin (2016) \u2013 und ich wurde mit einem M\u00e4nnernamen angesprochen&#8220; &#8211; In Marla We Trust - Marlas Army\" src=\"https:\/\/marlas.army\/ich-war-fluechtlingshelferin-2016-und-ich-wurde-mit-einem-maennernamen-angesprochen\/embed\/#?secret=e5OMVzDsJs#?secret=aB6NaJNqQJ\" data-secret=\"aB6NaJNqQJ\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\ud83d\udcda Further Reading \u2013 Partner Links<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>(Affiliate notice: The following links are partner links. If you make a purchase through them, you support Marlas Army at no additional cost to you.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>1. Hannah Arendt \u2013 On Violence<\/strong><br>1. Hannah Arendt \u2013 On Violence\nAn analysis of the mechanisms of political control and public fear.<br>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3NDc0c8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/3NDc0c8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>2. George Orwell \u2013 1984<\/strong><br>The classic work on language control, truth, and surveillance.<br>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4bsO0SZ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/4bsO0SZ<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>3. Timothy Snyder \u2013 On Tyranny<\/strong><br>Twenty lessons on how democracies die.<br>\ud83d\udc49 <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3NcdiuI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/amzn.to\/3NcdiuI<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"marlas-author-box\">\n  <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/marla-svenja-liebich\/\">Marla Svenja Liebich<\/a><\/strong>\n  is the author and publisher of <strong>Marlas Army<\/strong>.<br>\n  On Marla\u2019s Army, she publishes analyses, commentary, and personal accounts on social and political developments in Germany.\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Es gibt Dinge, die passen den Leuten heute nicht mehr ins Bild.Und genau deshalb sage ich es so deutlich, wie es ist: Ich war 2016\/2017 aktiv Fl\u00fcchtlingshelferin. Nicht als Symbol.Nicht als \u201ewir posten mal ein Herzchen und f\u00fchlen uns gut\u201c.Sondern richtig. Auf der Stra\u00dfe. Mit echten Aufgaben. Mit echten Leuten. Mit echter Arbeit. Und ich [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":777,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[38,37,36,39],"class_list":["post-774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marlas-leben","tag-fluechtlingshelfer","tag-fluechtlingshilfe","tag-marla","tag-ngo"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/marlas.army\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/refugees.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=774"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":808,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/774\/revisions\/808"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/777"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/marlas.army\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}