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The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Protesters play 'scheiß AfD' song during interview with far-right co-leader Alice Weidel
A German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland was interrupted by protesters. During the live television interview with ARD, Alice Weidel, co-leader of AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Amid whistling and shouting, the speakers of a bus used as part of the demonstration blared the anti-AfD song Scheiß AfD Jodler (Shit AfD Yodellers) by Corner Chor, an award-winning activist choir from Augsburg.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Anti-AfD protesters interrupt Alice Weidel interview live on German TV
A German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland was interrupted by protesters. During the television interview with ARD on Sunday, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Amid whistling and shouting, the speakers of a bus used as part of the demonstration blared the anti-AfD song Scheiß AfD Jodler (Shit AfD Yodellers) by Corner Chor, an award-winning activist choir from Augsburg. The protesters also included the group Omas gegen Rechts (Grans against the Right) and the anti-fascist artists' collective Zentrum für Politische Schönheit (the Center for Political Beauty). Some parts of the interview were inaudible to people watching it on TV. The anti-immigrant party has insisted the interview should be rerun to give Weidel the chance to properly answer the questions in what was part of a series of interviews with politicians from all parties. On Monday ARD said it would learn lessons from the incident but refused to say whether it would redo the interview. 'An uninterrupted flow in interviews is in our interest and, above all, in the interest of the audience. Therefore, we will draw conclusions from the broadcast and take precautions in the future,' a spokesperson said. The broadcaster said it had not been notified that the protest would be taking place and that nothing had been registered with the police in advance. The Berlin police said no arrests had been made, but that it was considering launching proceedings against the demonstrators. The journalist carrying out the interview, Markus Preiß, said afterwards: 'I have to say: Alice Weidel was quite sporting, considering the volume.' He added: 'Everyone is allowed to demonstrate; that's a good democratic right. But demonstrations are usually registered. And this one wasn't.' While she tried to make light of it, calling the choir a 'tax-funded NGO' and insisting she was used to protests against her, Weidel appeared to grow increasingly frustrated as the interview went on. Posting a link on social media to the interview, which was shown on the flagship news programme Tagesschau, she wrote: 'This is how it looks, by the way, when the Tagesschau holds a summer interview with the AfD in [conservative] CDU-governed Berlin – while the NGO choir protests in the background.' Preiß said he and Weidel had briefly discussed whether they should keep going and had agreed to continue. ARD faced a barrage of criticism for its failure to move it to an enclosed studio. AfD members and supporters said the broadcaster was responsible for guaranteeing equal conditions for politicians of all parties during interviews. Some opponents of the AfD said the protests had had the effect of creating more publicity for the party, which became the largest opposition party in the German parliament after February's elections. The media lobby group Reporters Without Borders said internet companies should be taxed to create a fund to help public broadcasters deal with the pressures they are increasingly facing from far-right parties. The group's director general, Thibaut Bruttin, cited Donald Trump's decision to 'dismantle' the US's international broadcasting service, saying it echoed 'the offensive being waged by certain political forces against public radio and television broadcasters across Europe', naming Hungary, Italy and Slovakia.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Anti-AfD protesters interrupt Alice Weidel interview live on German TV
A German public broadcaster has said it is reviewing its procedures after a live interview with the leader of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland was interrupted by protesters. During the television interview with ARD on Sunday, Alice Weidel, co-leader of the AfD, appeared at times to struggle to hear the questions being asked of her as protesters gathered below the provisional stage for the interview in Berlin. Amid whistling and shouting, the speakers of a bus used as part of the demonstration blared the anti-AfD song Scheiß AfD Jodler (Shit AfD Yodellers) by Corner Chor, an award-winning activist choir from Augsburg. The protesters also included the group Omas gegen Rechts (Grans against the Right) and the anti-fascist artists' collective Zentrum für Politische Schönheit (the Center for Political Beauty). Some parts of the interview were inaudible to people watching it on TV. The anti-immigrant party has insisted the interview should be rerun to give Weidel the chance to properly answer the questions in what was part of a series of interviews with politicians from all parties. On Monday ARD said it would learn lessons from the incident but refused to say whether it would redo the interview. 'An uninterrupted flow in interviews is in our interest and, above all, in the interest of the audience. Therefore, we will draw conclusions from the broadcast and take precautions in the future,' a spokesperson said. The broadcaster said it had not been notified that the protest would be taking place and that nothing had been registered with the police in advance. The Berlin police said no arrests had been made, but that it was considering launching proceedings against the demonstrators. The journalist carrying out the interview, Markus Preiß, said afterwards: 'I have to say: Alice Weidel was quite sporting, considering the volume.' He added: 'Everyone is allowed to demonstrate; that's a good democratic right. But demonstrations are usually registered. And this one wasn't.' While she tried to make light of it, calling the choir a 'tax-funded NGO' and insisting she was used to protests against her, Weidel appeared to grow increasingly frustrated as the interview went on. Posting a link on social media to the interview, which was shown on the flagship news programme Tagesschau, she wrote: 'This is how it looks, by the way, when the Tagesschau holds a summer interview with the AfD in [conservative] CDU-governed Berlin – while the NGO choir protests in the background.' Preiß said he and Weidel had briefly discussed whether they should keep going and they agreed to continue. ARD faced a barrage of criticism for its failure to move it to an enclosed studio. AfD members and supporters said the broadcaster was responsible for guaranteeing equal conditions for politicians of all parties during interviews. Some opponents of the AfD said the protests had had the effect of creating more publicity for the party, which became the largest opposition party in the German parliament after February's elections. The media lobby group Reporters Without Borders said internet companies should be taxed to create a fund to help public broadcasters deal with the pressures they are increasingly facing from far-right parties. The group's director general, Thibaut Bruttin, cited Donald Trump's decision to 'dismantle' the US's international broadcasting service, saying it echoed 'the offensive being waged by certain political forces against public radio and television broadcasters across Europe', naming Hungary, Italy and Slovakia.
Euronews
2 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Protesters drown out live interview with AfD leader Alice Weidel
A scheduled live, open-air television interview with the co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Alice Weidel, was drowned out on Sunday by boisterous protesters. The demonstrators, which positioned themselves across the River Spree from the televised set-up in Berlin's government quarter, sang songs, blew whistles and shouted anti-AfD slogans. Weidel and her host, public broadcaster ARD's Markus Preiß, had to lean forward multiple times to understand the questions posed by the other. Both Weidel and Preiß acknowledged the "difficult conditions," saying that at times it was almost impossible to understand each other. "I've got an echo in my ear, now I can't hear anything," Weidel said at one point, before removing an earplug from her ear and continuing the interview. The activist group, the Centre for Political Beauty, claimed responsibility for the rally, explaining that they equipped a bus with extremely powerful loudspeakers for the occasion. The group have a history of planning disruptive protests, including recently hanging a banner up on the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin depicting Weidel and Chancellor Friedrich Merz kissing. Twenty-five people were involved in the protest, which took place with no arrests. Weidel, later posting clips of the interview on X, claimed that the protest was organised by an NGO. "By the way, this is what it looks like when the Tagesschau programme conducts a summer interview with the AfD in CDU-governed Berlin," Weidel wrote on X. A spokesperson for the broadcaster that organised the interview, ARD, said that it would "drew conclusions" from the incident and "take precautions in the future." "An undisturbed course of the interviews is in our interest and above all in the interest of the audience" the spokeswoman said in response to a DPA inquiry. Politician Carsten Linnemann, a member of Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) criticised the action, arguing that the protest drew favourable attention to the AfD. "If you want to make the AfD strong, you should disturb such interviews," Linnemann told domestic media, adding he recommended counteracting the AfD in terms of their policies and content rather than arrange protest action. Weidel's interview was part of a series of "summer interviews" typically given by the leaders of Germany's largest political parties to public broadcaster ARD. The AfD are currently the second largest political force in Germany's parliament and in the polls, where latest figures show them achieving 25%, just behind the CDU with 27%.
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Team Ineos release statement in response to Paul Kimmage article in Sunday Independent
Team principal Dave Brailsford refused to comment when approached on a number of occasions at the Tour de France about the revelations that David Rozman, a long-term carer at the British cycling team, arranged to meet Dr Mark Schmidt at the team hotel during the 2012 Tour. The team were also asked for comment before the publication of last weekend's article by Paul Kimmage but they did not respond. A statement from the team was released on Thursday night. 'Ineos Grenadiers Cycling Team is aware of recent media allegations relating to the 2012 season and a member of its staff,' it read. 'These allegations have not to date been presented to the team by any appropriate authority, however the team has made a formal request to the International Testing Agency (ITA) to request any information it considers relevant. The team reiterates its policy of zero tolerance to any breach of the applicable WADA codes, historic or current.' The statement failed to address any of the key issues raised in the Sunday Independent story which followed on from an investigative television documentary by German broadcasters ARD that linked a Team Ineos staff member with Dr Schmidt, based on German Court documents, who was sent to prison for five years for his part in the blood-doping investigation, Operation Aderlass. ARD could not name the Ineos staff member due to legal and privacy laws in Germany but he was identified as Rozman in the Sunday Independent last week. The Slovenia carer, or masseur, has been with the team since 2011, when it was known as Team Sky, and had been working at this year's Tour de France. The recent reporting has revealed details that were part of Schmidt's 2020 criminal trial, including a number of text message exchanges between Schmidt and Rozman. Brailsford returned to Team Ineos before this year's Tour de France after stepping back from his role with Manchester United. Brailsford led the team through their most successful period during which they won seven Tours in eight years, starting with Bradley Wiggins in 2012. Rozman is believed to have worked with four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome. No Team Sky/Ineos rider has been sanction or named in the investigation.
