Monday demonstrations: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Monday Demonstrations 1989

The Monday demonstrations started in 1989 in the Eastern German city of Leipzig after prayers for peace in the Nikolai Church with parson Christian Führer. Citizens who wanted to leave the country joined in the court of the church, and non-violent demonstrations started in order to obtain rights like the freedom to travel to foreign countries and to elect a democratic government. The most famous chant became Wir sind das Volk! - We are the people. The demonstrations ended in March 1990, around the elections that led to the German reunification.

New Monday demonstrations started in 2004 to protest against the Hartz IV reform. The Hartz IV reform unifies the social welfare system and unemployment payouts. Many people are afraid that they will get much less money for their families. One goal of the Hartz reform is to reduce unemployment. But there are big differences in the east and west part of Germany. The reform seems to be good for the west but many people in the east think it will be catastrophic for them. And yet, leading German economics experts say the reforms are necessary for Germany's future, and the demonstrations have been populist. Politicians say that it is politically incorrect to use the term "Monday demonstrations"; the demonstrators nonetheless have been chanting: "Wir sind das Volk."