"Without mind in the brain" – Scholz insults demonstrators for "warmonger" calls

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's speech at the SPD's Europe Festival in Falkensee, Brandenburg, was accompanied by boos from the outset. The Federal Chancellor reaffirmed his unwavering solidarity with Ukraine.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the SPD Europe Festival in Falkensee, west of Berlin, as part of a mandatory event. With his presence, Scholz wanted to support the election campaign of the local mayoral candidate of the SPD. In direct conversation with the citizens, several demonstrators loudly drew attention to themselves. This was followed by a discussion between the Chancellor and Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD), who was also present.

As soon as she entered the stage as well as during the speech of the mayoral candidate, however, parts of the audience expressed their displeasure:

The core of the vociferous group was formed by demonstrators from the environment of the critic of the Corona measures and peace activist "Captain Future", who is now well-known in Berlin and the surrounding area. Their protest was mainly directed against the current Ukraine policy of the Federal Government. In conversation with the demonstrators, they expressed "their displeasure with the special fund for the Bundeswehr, refugee policy and mistrust of established media," according to the Julian Reichelt portal Pleitenicker.

After the chancellor had been repeatedly dubbed a warmonger during his speech and heard heckling such as "hypocrite", "Make peace without weapons", "Get out!" and "We are the people!", he reacted in a comparatively impulsive manner. Scholz verbatim to the critics:

"And because Putin is the warmonger who is shouted out by you here, if you had any brains in your brains ..."

At the beginning of his speech, the Federal Chancellor already told the audience:

"Dear citizens, dear screamers! Warmonger is Putin. He invaded Ukraine with 200,000 soldiers. He mobilized much more. He must never again risk his own citizens for an imperialist dream. Putin wants to destroy Ukraine and he also has his eye on Europe."

Scholz also claimed that the Russian president was responsible for "100,000, maybe 150,000" dead Russian soldiers in order to once again clarify his view of the political situation. The Federal Chancellor made it clear that he sees no alternative to continued support for Ukraine with weapons:

"Yes, this is necessary, if a country is attacked, then it has to defend itself, then it is allowed to defend itself, what else?"

Elsewhere, Scholz said: "It is and remains right to support Ukraine" and "After the United States, we do it most as Germans. ... We will all do it together for as long as it is necessary."

Brandenburg's Prime Minister Dietmar Woidke (SPD) commented on Scholz's vociferous critics with the words:

"This demonstration actually belongs on Red Square in the direction of the Kremlin ... Freedom is also that you can squawk here."

The media coverage of the exchange of blows between Scholz and the demonstrators, on the other hand, largely conveyed the usual picture on Saturday. Among other things, it was titled:

• Picture: Chancellor Scholz defends himself against troublemakers – Clear edge against mob mob
• BerlinerTagesspiegel: 'If you had any brains in your brains': Emotional chancellor appearance in Falkensee
• T-Online: 'If you had brains in your brains' – Chancellor Scholz defends himself loudly against troublemakers on stage
• Märkische Allgemeine: Verbal riots: boos and whistles against German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Falkensee

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