German Gamers Stage Protest March Against Govt. Crackdown on Violent Games
German Gamers Stage Protest March Against Govt. Crackdown on Violent Games
July 8, 2009
We have read some reports of late that German officials have banned the public display of Counter-Strike, forcing the cancellation of gaming competitions.
While information to that effect is sketchy so far, such a ban would be consistent with our May report on the forced cancellation of a LAN event in Stuttgart which featured Counter-Strike and Warcraft III competitions.
German gamers aren't taking these repressive measures lying down, however. An estimated 400 gamers assembled for a June protest march in Karlsruhe. German gamer Matthias Dittmayer e-mailed GamePolitics to let us know that more gamer demonstrations are planned for later this month:
Because of this [censorship] there was the (as far as I know) first demonstration of gamers in Germany with up to 400 gamers. The next 3 demonstration in Cologne, Karlsruhe and Berlin are announced for the 25th of July.
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Posted 11/07/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
ZippyDSMlee: man I got alot of junk and dup files too >< god I need orginization...and no not the knee capping media mafia kind :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:26pm
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
ZippyDSMlee: replaced :P
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:23pm
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
ZippyDSMlee: beemoh:hey its like 60GB porn,400GB anime 100GB games and crap I have took from all my DVDs, I hate waiting on dvds to install stuff..... oh and 40GB of my porn was in the found.000 folder...mostly corrupted.... least I got names of wut needs to be repa
Posted 11/07/09 at 04:18pm
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
beemoh: @Zip: ...and you'd have to spend all that time re-downloading that porn?
Posted 11/07/09 at 03:34pm
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
ZippyDSMlee: ggrrrrr......vista lost one of my hard drives and I had a heart attack thinking I lost 1TB of data....
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
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Comments
400 people is not a significant amount. Certainly no-where near enough to convince the vote-chasers to give a damn.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
IT is certainly enough to get people's attention, especially if they are all in one area that is viewable by the public.
Now if they were petitioning, that would be a different story and 400 woukd not be enough.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Then they also have to convince the public to give a damn about 'mere' gamers, making their objective that much harder.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
One step at a time.
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
Actually, Destructoid has a link to an online petition board-thingie. They need 50,000 signatures. I would've signed, but I don't understand enough German to navigate around the page.
Good luck, German gamers! Fight the power!
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Game on, brothers and sisters.
At least some people are showing they are not going to put up with a federal ban. Oh did anyone notices a sign or something with what looks like adam sessler on it at around 1:07 seconds.
I guess i na day or so their prisons will have 400 new residents.
Oh please. They haven't reached that point.
Yet.
Of course they do. This is Germany, everyone has to joke around and compare them to Hitler and Nazis. If any other government or USA state does such stuff, they don't, but this is Germany so it's mandatory at GP.
Well half do...the other half immediately get defensive and start raising the "They're bringing up the specter of Hitler!" whenever anyone criticizes Germany in any way.
Come on, this is getting ridiculous.
I would have gone if i had known about it beforehand. Perhaps they'll manage to get more gamers (say 1000) next time, now that there is at least some publicity.
Every person protesting represents many more who are angry with the government. You'd have to be a fool to think only 400 people are going to be voting against you.
Good for Germany- I wish there was something I could do to help them, but then again it's not my government. Go get 'em!
Now all we need is for this type of counter-activism to take root in Austrailia and I may start feeling better about the future of the civilized world...
Only 400 gamers? They need OVER 9000!!!!!!!!!!! To be taken seriously.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Damn, I was going to say that.
Hopefully next time there's a lot more people, as the more you have, the harder they are to ignore, even if they are gamers.
Hopefully these protests can lift some of the bans instead of Germany having to wait for games to stop being the new scapegoat at which point the laws will seem stupid and probably won't be enforced.
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Debates are like merry go rounds. Two people take their positions then they go through the same points over and over and over again. Then when it's over they have the same positions they started in.
That's if germany ever bothers to;I guess since the country is still going under some minor deals of stress since the aftermath of a school shooting that happened there.
There was only a handful of people at the Boston Massace(spelling?). And again when the British Red Coats met up with militia at Concard, MA.
While gamers are alot less violent, they are making a point. There is much misinformation in each country, but those that see computer games as a rival for their company's future profits. The citizenry of these countries are also pretty ignorant, and seem to by in to causes that have huge and sweeping consequences. In the USA, many laws by Mr. Jack Thompson have been overturned on constiutional grounds. The same may happen for those in Germany, but I do not know enough about the German political or laws to say with confidence.
Maybe in the future, gamers will become a group that politians would want to cater to to get the votes, and maybe increase their election chests.
Hopefully, they'll get more and more protestors by July 25th.
Destructoid has some additional info about the protests:
http://www.destructoid.com/german-gamers-protest-government-s-war-on-videogames-139044.phtml
Apparently, there is now a petition up at the Bundestag's official forum and if 50,000 German citizens sign, authorities are required by law to review and discuss with the people.
Geaux Saints, Geaux Tigers, Geaux Hornets, Jack Thompson can geaux chase a chupacabra.
Surely they get can some sympathy in the Reichstag.
Oooo, yay, another Germany story. I'm looking forward to see what part of it GP got wrong.
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Believe in something! Even if it's wrong, believe in it! -Glenn Beck
What stands out the most in all of this (to me) is the fact that Germany is so anti-Nazi/Hilter after WW2, doing whatever they can to move on & forget etc. yet by banning things without proof it's actually causing problems, they just creating a whole new fascist culture and ultimately doing exactly what Hitler did?
Don't German politicians realize the degree of hypocrisy in all of this? Besides, what first world government legislates based on conjecture? What a load of crap.
That's what I've been saying all this time. Germany's overcompensating for a violent past that has been imprinted deeply into history books everywhere (well maybe not Iran's or other Holocaust deniers but that's a different topic). I take it as a nation's version of being "born again" zealot...they want to do good after living a life of sin, but take it too far in the other direction so their new life is as extereme as their old one.
GameSnooper