Jena: 5,000 demonstrate against right-wing extremism and for solidarity!

Jena: 5,000 demonstrate against right-wing extremism and for solidarity!

In Jena on June 15, 2025, more than 5,000 people took part in an impressive anti-fascist demonstration. This event, which was directed against ongoing right-wing extremism, also commemorated the defendants in the so-called “Budapest complex”. The demonstration was organized by an alliance of left-wing parties and groups that mobilized participants from all over Germany. The speakers not only condemned right-wing extremism, but also showed solidarity with the alleged left-wing extremists who are accused of violent acts against right-wing extremist groups, as MDR reports.

But the mood was clouded by incidents: three police officers were injured in clashes involving pyrotechnics and a total of five crimes were discovered. The police had originally expected around 2,500 participants, but the high number surprised everyone. Due to temperatures of up to 33 degrees Celsius, which were reached at 5 p.m., the originally planned route of the demonstration had to be shortened because many participants were exhausted.

Solidarity and criticism

An emotional highlight of the event was the speech by a father whose daughter is imprisoned in Hungary in connection with the Budapest complex. He criticized the prison conditions under which his daughter suffered and called for non-violence. The debate surrounding the Budapest complex shows cross-border repression, which has now also taken on European dimensions, as [nd aktuell notes](https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1189830.ungarn-budapest-kommunikation- Grenzueberschreide-repression.html).

The Budapest complex includes 18 suspects from several countries who were identified by the Hungarian justice system. The accused are accused, among other things, of grievous bodily harm and membership in a criminal organization. There is a risk of prison sentences of up to 24 years, which underlines the explosiveness and complexity of the issue. After all, some of the accused are already in custody, while others have received a release from custody - but it remains unclear when the responsible EU parliamentary committees will deal with these cases.

Digital space as a breeding ground

In the midst of these disputes, it is important to also consider the role of the Internet. A new brochure from the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has made clear how right-wing extremist actors use digital platforms to spread their ideologies and recruit new followers. The focus is particularly on platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Steam and Telegram. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution warns that the Internet acts as a central radicalization space that can lead to right-wing terrorist acts of violence.

Although many of the activists in the right-wing extremist scene do not have real relationships, they manage to establish a dangerous network through social media. The brochure also highlights how right-wing extremist content is increasingly being mixed with socially widespread topics in order to push the boundaries of political discourse. Given these dynamics, it is essential that both authorities and civil society take active action against hate and hate speech online.

The events in Jena are not just part of a local protest culture, but are symbolic of a much larger social fight against right-wing extremism and for the protection of human rights on an international stage. The demands and drama in the arguments surrounding the Budapest complex testify to the complexity of modern political struggles. The question remains: How can we respond to such developments in order to ensure both security and freedom?