Victims, witnesses of an incident, and the victims’ family members and friends can report the incident to us. Reports can also be submitted anonymously.
All incidents motivated by racism, antisemitism, or right-wing ideology. This explicitly includes anti-Roma, anti-LGBTQ+, anti-feminist, and anti-homeless incidents. These incidents do not necessarily have to be criminal offenses; we also want to document incidents motivated by group-focused hostility that would not appear in any police statistics. This can range from a sticker on a lamppost to property damage, insults, and even verbal and physical violence. If you’re unsure, it’s better to report the incident just in case!
No, the decision of whether or not to file a police report is entirely up to you. We document incidents independently of the police and other authorities, from a civil society perspective. We know that the barrier to going to the police can be very high, and we specifically want to document cases that the police do not record, in order to show just how common all these incidents are. We do not share any cases or data with the police or other authorities.
We would like to provide an overview of the incidents occurring in Hamburg and the social groups affected by specific forms of exclusion. As long as the extent of these incidents remains hidden, there will be no broader social awareness of the problem. By presenting the number of cases and placing them in context, we aim to foster such awareness.
Reports are generated from the collected data to provide an overview of reported incidents. In addition, ad hoc reports are produced to examine specific phenomena or key issues. All reports are intended to expand our understanding and reduce the gaps in our knowledge regarding these incidents.
People with right-wing views believe that white Germans are superior to other people. They also believe that poor or disabled people are less valuable. For people with right-wing views, men are in charge and women are responsible only for the family. People with right-wing views exclude anyone who is not like them.
The use of the term “right-wing” is a deliberate choice based on the need to encompass a broader spectrum of problematic political movements than the narrow definition of “right-wing extremism” used by security agencies. Here are the main reasons for this choice of terminology:
Racism means dividing people into “natives” and “outsiders.” This division is often based on skin color, culture, language, religion, or background. Negative traits are attributed to the “outsiders,” even though people don’t know them. These are prejudices that aren’t true.
Racism puts people at a disadvantage. This happens through words or actions. Examples include: People tell racist jokes. Those affected have a harder time finding a job. They are treated less fairly in school. They have great difficulty finding a place to live.
People affected by racism include:
Antisemitism means that people hold prejudices against Jewish people. They treat Jewish people badly simply because they are Jewish. They believe false things about Jewish people. These prejudices are often passed on and repeated.
Antisemitism leads to Jewish people being excluded. Jewish people are also insulted, threatened, or attacked.
Heteronormativity means that many people believe there are only two genders—female and male. They believe that men should be in charge of women. They think women are supposed to love men, and men are supposed to love women. They believe all of this is “normal” and “right,” and that everything else is wrong.
Heteronormativity devalues people who are gay or lesbian or who do not want to commit to a specific gender identity. It also devalues people who do not want to live as women or men. Furthermore, men and women are not perceived as equal and having equal rights.
Social Darwinism is the belief that only the “strong” should survive in society. Its proponents believe that strong people are more valuable, while weak people are less so. They view poverty, illness, or disability as signs of “weakness.” Social Darwinism devalues people who need help; they receive less support and are often excluded from society.
People with right-wing views fight against their political opponents. They portray their opponents as enemies. They claim that their opponents are evil and dangerous. They call for action against their opponents. They want to silence or destroy their political opponents.
For political opponents, this means threats, fear, and violence. People with right-wing views insult their opponents, make their lives difficult, and attack them. In extreme cases, people with right-wing views kill their opponents.
Those affected often experience multiple dimensions of unequal treatment simultaneously. A reporting center with a cross-phenomenon approach allows for more accurate documentation and analysis of such intersectional cases. At the same time, it enables us to evaluate these cases in relation to one another. Instead of separating or prioritizing individual forms of unequal treatment, we aim to give equal space to all those affected, thereby avoiding the hierarchization of experiences of discrimination. We also seek to give equal consideration to the experiences of marginalized groups and to highlight structural connections.
A single point of contact also makes it easier for those affected and witnesses to access support and increases the likelihood that incidents will actually be reported and thus become visible.