Stop the financial attacks against VVN-BdA

8. Dezember 2019

The FIR registers with concern that the German union of the pursued ones of the Nazi regime – association of anti-fascists (VVN-BdA) is attacked with the means of the tax law. Its political work against old and new Nazis, against racism and dismantling of democracy, for anti-fascist historical memory and international understanding as well as the support of the last still living contemporary witnesses from pursuit and resistance will be more complicate because of financial restriction.

While on one hand the politically responsible persons in Germany spoke full-bodied after the assassination attempt on a synagogue in Halle of the fight against extreme right and against anti-Semitism, on the other hand the largest anti-fascist organization in Germany is attacked on financial level. Thus, the tax authorities make a contribution to pursue anti-fascism – as it demands the extremely right AfD

The VVN-BdA calls under the slogan “anti-fascism must remain non-profit”:

“We demand the recognition of charity for our organization!

We demand practical support for all civil society groups and organizations that defend the basic values of the Basic Law against racist, anti-Semitic, nationalist and neo-Fascist attacks!”

The FIR supports the VVN-BdA in its fight around its non-profit character. We see in the procedure of the finance authority an attempt to make the organization politically gag-dead with the instrument of the tax law.

We call the German Federal Minister of Finance Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the land finance Ministers to stop these attacks on an active civilian-society organization in the fight against Neo-fascism and extreme right development.

We call our member federations to support the VVN-BdA by contacting German Embassies and sending protest notes against these attacks against the largest, oldest, non-party and non-denominational organization of anti-fascists in Germany.