Oktoberfest waiting staff start campaign against far-right rhetoric and discrimination
Around 170 waiting staff at Munich's Oktoberfest have launched an initiative against far-right views and discrimination at the festival. Tent operators reject discrimination and, per GB News, see no evidence of a rise in hate speech.
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The story, neutrally told
Waiting staff at Munich's Oktoberfest have started an initiative against racism and far-right rhetoric at the festival. GB NewsR “Around 170 serving staff at Munich's Oktoberfest have banded together under the banner "Waiters against the Far Right,"” Read at GB News ↗ Deutsche WelleN “a group of service staff have launched an initiative calling for "mutual respect at the Wiesn."” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗ GB News reports it was set up by two waitresses, Fanny and Anna, and that its supporters make up about a tenth of a front-of-house workforce it estimates at 1,500 to 2,000. GB NewsR “The initiative was set up by two young waitresses identifying themselves only as Fanny and Anna.”“Their supporters make up around a tenth of the festival's total front-of-house workforce, estimated to number between 1,500 and 2,000 people.” Read at GB News ↗ Both outlets say the AfD's election success in Saxony-Anhalt, together with staff experiences, was the catalyst. GB NewsR “The catalyst for the campaign was the AfD's commanding victory in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6.” Read at GB News ↗ Deutsche WelleN “were a catalyst for setting up the initiative” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗
In a video on social media, staff say that for years they have watched certain remarks become acceptable again with less objection. Deutsche WelleN “"For years, we've been observing how it's suddenly acceptable to say certain things again, and that there's less of an outcry."” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗ GB NewsR “how some things are becoming more sayable again and how far-right notions are suddenly drawing less opposition” Read at GB News ↗ Deutsche Welle says incidents often go unreported and do not appear in statistics. Deutsche WelleN “The situations they encounter often go unreported and don't appear in the statistics” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗ A spokesperson for the vendors told Bayerischer Rundfunk the whole Oktoberfest family rejects discrimination, racism and sexism in the strongest terms, per Deutsche Welle. Deutsche WelleN “"the entire Oktoberfest family has always rejected and continues to reject any form of discrimination, racism and sexism in the strongest possible terms"” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗
GB News reports that the umbrella body of tent operators found no evidence that hate-speech incidents are rising, and that one tent operator, which condemns far-right extremism, would prefer staff to keep politics out of work. GB NewsR “it finds no evidence that incidents of hate speech are actually on the rise”“our staff can't take [political] positions when they're wearing their work clothes” Read at GB News ↗ Deutsche Welle adds that festival director Christian Scharpf and Deputy Mayor Verena Dietl described a peaceful, harmonious first week, while police recorded about 470 offences by the halfway point, including assault and sexual harassment. Deutsche WelleN “"The first week went by peacefully," Oktoberfest Director Christian Scharpf said at the festival's half-way point.”“police had recorded around 470 offenses” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗ The festival runs 16 days and ends on October 4. Deutsche WelleN “Oktoberfest ends on October 4 after 16 days of revelry.” Read at Deutsche Welle ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the story as staff describing a less rosy picture than the officials' upbeat halfway reports, with a call for mutual respect.
- Emphasis
- Contrast between official positive assessments and staff experiences; police figures and security measures.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the operators' finding of no rise in hate speech, the tent operator's wish to keep politics out of work, or the group's size and founders.
- For example
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“But if you take a closer look, all is not rosy at the Wiesn.” — Deutsche Welle
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Frames the campaign as undermined by organisers' statement that hate speech is not rising, with a sceptical headline.
- Emphasis
- Organisers' pushback, the operator's remarks on politics at work, and the campaign's scale relative to the workforce.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention police offence figures or officials' harmony statements; gives less weight to staff reports of unrecorded incidents.
- Charged language
- “mass campaign”“which organisers confirm isn't actually on the rise”“commanding victory”
- For example
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“Oktoberfest staff have launched a mass campaign against "far-right hate speech" despite festival organisers insisting there has not been a rise in exactly that.” — GB News
What every side reports
- Waiting staff at Munich's Oktoberfest launched an initiative against racism and far-right views.
- The AfD's success in Saxony-Anhalt was a catalyst.
- Festival vendors say they reject discrimination and racism.
- The initiative was publicised through a social media video.
Where accounts differ
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Whether hate speech and discrimination at the festival are increasing
- Centre
- Deutsche Welle says staff describe a problem that goes unreported and is missing from statistics, and that supporters want more done; it does not cite a measured rise.
- Right
- GB News says the campaign runs against organisers' finding of no evidence that hate speech is rising, and leads with that contrast.
Oktoberfest event
Organisers and vendors say they reject discrimination and racism; officials described a peaceful, harmonious first week, while GB News reports operators see no evidence of rising hate speech.
“Munich's Deputy Mayor Verena Dietl praised the "good, harmonious atmosphere."” — Deutsche Welle
“it finds no evidence that incidents of hate speech are actually on the rise” — GB News
Munich place
Munich's deputy mayor and police gave positive halfway assessments of the festival.
“The city's police force also delivered a positive report half-way through the event in Munich.” — Deutsche Welle
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Munich Oktoberfest: Staff call for more respect
Sympathetic Presents staff concerns as a hidden counterpoint to positive official assessments, backed by police figures.
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Right1 article
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GB NewsR ·
Dismissive Presents the staff campaign as at odds with organisers' view, foregrounding the lack of a reported rise in hate speech.
- 29 Sep 07:03 First GB NewsR Oktoberfest staff launch mass campaign against 'far-right hate speech'... which organisers confirm isn't actually on the rise
- 30 Sep 14:22 +31h 18m Deutsche WelleN Munich Oktoberfest: Staff call for more respect
- 30 Sep 14:22 +31h 18m Deutsche WelleN Servers at Munich's iconic Oktoberfest call for more respect
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.