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Socialist Democratic Student Association Flyer on the Death of Benno Ohnesorg (June 3, 1967)

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It is not true that demonstrators attacked police by throwing stones. Instead, they literally had to defend themselves against indiscriminate beating by police cordons. Such paramilitary actions by police are by no means a commensurate response to the tomatoes and eggs thrown by demonstrators, which could never have hit the Shah anyway, because he was too far away.

It is not true that Benno Ohnesorg was a “ringleader.” It was the first time he had participated in a protest demonstration.

It has come to this!

The representative of this city, a Social Democrat, has at great expense received a dictator who has been shown to have tortured and murdered hundreds of politicians, journalists, students, and workers. Their crime was: speaking out for freedom, democracy, and social justice. Berlin police officers killed the student Benno Ohnesorg. His crime was: demonstrating against this dictator. The governing mayor, a Social Democrat, has celebrated the oppression in Persia, condemned the demonstration, and justified a person being killed.

Heinrich Albertz has not only disqualified himself and proven to be incompetent as a politician, he has also totally failed as a human being when, obviously not aware of the facts, he issued an incredibly cynical statement.

The Social Democratic Student Association demands the resignation of the person who is politically responsible for the police brutality.



Source: Flyer of the Social Democratic Student Association (SHB), Berlin: “Student Slain”; reprinted in Jürgen Miermeister and Jochen Staadt, eds., Provokationen. Die Studenten- und Jugendrevolte in ihren Flugblättern 1865-1971 [Provocations. The Student and Youth Revolts in their Leaflets 1865-1971]. Darmstadt, 1980, pp. 97-98.

Translation: Allison Brown

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