There are things that no longer fit into people’s picture today.
And that’s exactly why I’m saying this as clearly as it is:
In 2016/2017, I was actively helping refugees.
Not as a symbol.
Not as “posting a heart and feeling good about ourselves.”
But for real — on the street, with real tasks, real people, and real work.
And during that time, I experienced something that still shows today just how dishonest a large part of the so-called “welcome movement” really was.
We meant it seriously — and that was exactly the problem
Back then, I gathered a few people.
We wanted to help. Really help.
We didn’t just want to “support” something or “raise awareness.”
We wanted to actively support this work — without a big stage, without self-promotion, and without government funding.
That’s exactly where the difference was:
The big organizations, the Sea-Watch crowd, all those initiatives — they never meant it seriously.
It was never about the people.
It was about the funding.
About grants.
About government money.
About securing the right spot in the NGO network.
And I realized very quickly back then:
If you mean it seriously, you become dangerous.
Not to “the right.”
But to your own scene.
Volunteering? For us, yes. For the others: only if it’s paid.
Our work was voluntary.
We did it because we genuinely believed it was the right thing to do.
And that’s exactly why we were a thorn in their side.
Because we ripped their mask off — without even trying to.
Because when people show up who actually do something, it suddenly becomes obvious how much of the rest is just a performance.
They didn’t want to protest with us — so we had to organize our own demonstration
We actually wanted to protest together.
We wanted to join them, march along, and help bring attention to the issue.
But they didn’t want that.
They didn’t want us in their ranks.
So there was only one solution left for us:
We had to organize our own demonstration in our city.
And I still remember that demonstration to this day.
The organized Sea Bridge protest was bigger — and nobody reported on us
The Sea Bridge demonstration was bigger, yes.
Maybe 150 people. Maybe 200.
They had structures, contacts, and their own media connections.
And it was reported on — on Dubis Halle, that regional page from Halle.
About us? Nothing.
Not a single photo.
Not a single sentence.
Not a single mention.
As if we had never existed.
And then came the moment that still affects me today
When the Facebook post about the Sea Bridge demonstration went online, something interesting happened.
In the comments, people wrote, roughly:
“Yeah, I saw them… they were completely insane, what they were demanding.”
But — they didn’t mean the Sea Bridge.
They meant us.
Because we were more consistent.
Because we made tougher demands.
Because we didn’t use that watered-down NGO language — we spoke plainly.
And that’s exactly why we were labeled.
Not as committed.
Not as serious.
But as “too much.”
If you’re too consistent, you’ll get pushed out by your own scene.
This is something I still haven’t forgotten.
Because it was one of those moments when I realized how this game really works:
You’re allowed to be “for refugees” —
but only in a way that doesn’t hurt anyone.
You’re allowed to “show values” —
but only inside the approved corridor of opinions.
You’re allowed to help —
but only in a way that ensures the funding
and the media attention stay in the right hands.
If you really want to change something, you’re no longer welcome.
It still makes me sad to this day
I’m not saying this because I want to please anyone.
And I’m not saying it to bring up old stories
that nobody wants to hear.
I’m saying it because it’s true.
It still makes me sad that back then,
we were not taken seriously.
That we were ignored.
That people preferred to report on the big, “clean,” funded structures —
and not on those who truly meant it.
And it is one of the reasons why I see many things differently today than I did back then.
Not because I “switched sides.”
But because I learned
how this system really works.
📚 Further Reading – Partner Links
(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.)
1. Hannah Arendt – On Violence
1. Hannah Arendt – On Violence
An analysis of the mechanisms of political control and public fear.
👉 https://amzn.to/3NDc0c8
2. George Orwell – 1984
The classic work on language control, truth, and surveillance.
👉 https://amzn.to/4bsO0SZ
3. Timothy Snyder – On Tyranny
Twenty lessons on how democracies die.
👉 https://amzn.to/3NcdiuI
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