Protest

Protest

At the end of March German citizens in Baden-Württemberg will go to the polls to elect a governor (Ministerpräsident). The man currently serving a term in office was not elected but was installed after the previous one was sent to Brussels to be the EU commissioner for energy. 

This poster reads: We are the people - Stop S21

The German train company's plans to put the Stuttgart station underground has got the residents of this state's capital up in arms. The Swabians are known for their "Kehrwoche", which was explained to me by a Canadian friend thus: "You sweep the stairs from top to bottom and then throw away the matchbox full of dust in the trashcan. Outside you sweep until enough neighbors have seen you to provide an alibi in case someone should accuse you of having passed on the sign without doing your duty." You see, the person who is in charge of cleaning the snow in front of the house and sweeping the stairwell passes on a "Kehrwoche" sign once the work has been done. 

Demonstrators hope to sweep out the old government

Many people in northern Germany aren't even aware of this custom, but that did not stop the protesters recently from waving their brooms and mops in protest. There were just over 13,000 people at the demonstration, which started lat Saturday at the Schloßplatz in the center of town and then paraded through the streets past the train station.

The protest moves into the streets

A marketing firm volunteered to create a logo and then came up with this bright green color which can be seen on scarves, umbrellas, protest buttons and posters. It is a gentle reminder of which political party has promised to stop the project, should they be elected in March.