WEBVTT

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We are here in front of the
local utilities headquarters.

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The fact is that
since the end of

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last year

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we had an advert
on the tram.

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We've had that
for a long time.

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We have an advert
for the army and

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it says: "Do what
really counts."

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"Green stuff is
good for you."

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Above all, the colour scheme is
this fancy camouflage

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of the Bundeswehr.

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The whole tram.
And it feels

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really bad to
drive such a

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quasi armoured vehicle
through the city.

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We are here so that we don't have
to drive this Bundeswehr tram,

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for reasons of conscience.

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It is possible,

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according to the constitution,

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that no one has to
do military service.

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And an advert for the Bundeswehr
is definitely military service.

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And that is why we are
here to express our refusal,

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documented in writing, here
to the management

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and also to inform the
works council,

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so that it can check that
our right is being adhered to.

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That we no longer have to drive
this Bundeswehr tramway.

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We went

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firstly to the reception,
to hand over a letter

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to management,
requesting,

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to remove the Bundeswehr tram
from the vehicle fleet.

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To stop
bothering us,

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so that we don't have
to drive this thing anymore.

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It is possible,
for reasons of conscience,

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that the employer's management
rights are restricted.

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That is backed up
by law so far.

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We have just
handed over.

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And then we handed over a letter
to the works council, that says

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that the works council should ensure
that our rights are respected,

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also in the future.

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I don't drive this Bundeswehr
tramway because,

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for reasons of conscience,
I refuse to do military service.

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I refuse to drive such a vehicle
for reasons of conscience,

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because driving it I am
advertising war and armament.

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My colleagues have
different opoinions.

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Like everywhere.

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One part says why, that
looks totally great, it looks cool.

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And the Bundeswehr is also important,
because we need to be defended,

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in case any bad guys invade.

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And then on the other hand side,
there are also a lot of colleagues,

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who say: "Hey, great, I would
not have the courage to do it yet,

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but we'll see what happens and
and we'll definitely support you."

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It's mixed.

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At the general staff meeting there was
a lot of applause for my contribution

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which almost
astonished me.

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It was very
favourably received.

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When I talk to
my colleagues

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it is ambivalent,
of course.

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There are people who
were in the army.

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Some also find this camouflage
design, this military look,

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somehow cool and great

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and then of course they are
completely okay with it,

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to drive around in
in such a vehicle.

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It is part of the social discourse
to say: "Yes,

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Germany is back on the map again.

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Of course we also have to
stand up for our interests

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and that with the
gun in hand.

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That was a slow process.

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In the beginning,
the soldiers were deployed

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during the recent floods at the Oder

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slugging sandbags,

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that was the their first
domestic deployment back then.

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The Bundeswehr has actually
not really lost anything,

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both abroad and at home.
But no, it's getting bigger and bigger.

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And so that they can silence the
the last critics, there is

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such funny advertising campaigns
like ‘Do what really counts’,

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‘Green stuff is good for you’.

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And the tram is only
one example of the campaign.

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The other day I ordered pizza
and when it arrives,

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the pizza comes
in a box like this.

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And the army add says:

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‘Do you have what it takes?’ or
something, so of course, it's funny.

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So the people
who come up with that

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are clever, but
you lose your appetite!

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The military profession is being sold
as a completely normal profession,

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as if a soldier's trade,

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killing people,
would be a normal profession

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and that is
not true.

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And then this
recruitment of minors,

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that Bundeswehr officers
go into school classes

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promoting the Bundeswehr, that all
goes in the direction of militarisation.

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The Bundeswehr trams
have different slogans on them.

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They're funny, of course, because
the Bundeswehr has understood,

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that it has to appeal to
the young generation.

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Then it says something like
like ‘Green stuff is good for you’ or

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‘Do what really counts.’

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Slogans to move

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the young generation

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to sign up with them

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and not become a tram driver,
for example.

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Or a miller. Or baker.

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Or psychologist or construction worker
or archaeologist or whatever.

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But no, they
should become soldiers.

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It is actually the case
that every 13th recruit

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is now a minor
and that

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is also against
international law.

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The UN says, for example,
that's not corret.

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This is also

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one of the reasons why I don't want
to let this army tram drive.

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We have started a petition
on change.org:

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"Say no to
the Bundeswehr tramway".

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That started
quite well.

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After the first day there were
already 500 signatures.

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Unfortunately, in the meantime,
it has gone quiet a bit.

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Something has to be done now,
to get things moving again.

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And of course Munich is not
the only city where such a

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Bundeswehr advert
is driving around.

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For this petition you
can go to change.org

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and enter 'Bundeswehr Tram'

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and sign please.

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Yes, mutiny!

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I would say to everyone:
Form gangs

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and do what really counts.

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What really counts.

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And indeed,

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to advance humanity
as a whole

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and not to engage in any
petty statehood and

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Kindergarten games on a

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really life-threatening
level.