CITIZEN'S ACTION GROUP * * * It was during the "broad coalition" period that the Emergency Laws were passed. According to these laws, ratified in mid-1968 by the CDU/CSU and the SPD, a series of "democratic rights" were· to be abridged or totally abolished in case of emergency. Even before these laws were passed, a broad movement against them had begun. Citizen's action groups formed in all West German cities to campaign against the Emergency Laws. On May 17, 1968, a hundred thousand people demonstrated against these laws in Bonn, and the day parliamentary debates on them took place, almost all German schools and universities went on strike. Active attempts to mobilize labor unions and workers for an anti-emergency laws campaign failed, however. Under today's SPD-FDP government, the emergency laws provide the base for further toughening of laws against supposed enemies of the state. It is important to realize that the Social Democratic Party played a significant part in the passing of these laws, whereas it had always made a point of wanting to avoid an increase in centralized federal power before entering the government itself. The party no longer followed this principle when it did come to power. 5 Nevertheless, the Social Democratic Party of Germany under Willy Brandt was able to constitute a government together with the Liberals after the 1969 elections. For the first time since World War II, a social democratic-liberal coalition had come into power. Willy Brandt, today president of the "Socialist International", made his first governmental declaration to parliament with the watchword "to dare be more democratic". Many citizens saw this first, promise-filled government declaration as a guideline. But they noticed quite quickly that the promise of daring to bring about more democracy was hollow and empty. Social democratic policies that ignored local needs and local inhabitants and even insulted them did not fit in with this motto at all. This realization quickly led to the founding of action groups of various kinds. People became increasingly ready to defend their direct interests; they began to do away with unbearable conditions by taking matters into their own hands and by presenting local government with irrevocable action. "In order to overcome this unbearable situation (note: they are talking here of the fact 65
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