** update ** Around 500 demonstrants have attended the demonstration according to the local media and police. Check out some reports and photos, contributed by different sources.

Read here for my English report.

Self-explaining video (10 minutes).

Another German report.

72 photos on photobucket.
9 photos on flickr.
242 photos on flickr

62 photos by readmore (Advise me if this is advertising, then I remove the last link!)

Another youtube video: "Wer nicht hüpt, der ist kein Spieler!" Who doesn´t jump, is no gamer!


***** below is the original news *****

This Friday will be in Karlsruhe, Germany from 17 o´clock until 20:30 o´clock a demonstration.

This demonstration is against the cancellations or rather embargos of the scheduled ESL Intel Friday Night Games in Karlsruhe and Stuttgart. It is against the double moral standard of conservative politicians who demonize videogames and who cancel events in Stuttgart due to the school massacre in Winnenden and respect towards the victims, but who allow fair featuring shooting matches only a few weeks after the incident. This demonstration is for the public acceptance of videogaming as own culture.

It can not be, that we will be lumped together with homicidal maniacs, that they choose us, not so small but still marginalized groups of videogamers, as their punching bag even if it was their fault. It should be more about, that one has to deal with the initial problems of those amok runners and potential imperilled persons to identify the causes. Consequently to try to avoid the causes and not to condemn videogaming or to perform ignorance and double moral standards. Thus we will be lumped together. And every computer gaming person is affected by this. Not only the young people, also those who are older than 30 years, those who have family, those who enjoy their life and still play. Ranging from First-Person-Shooter players via World of Warcraft guildmembers, WarSow trickjumpers up to the Sims girls.

Among us gamers are also some idiots, who think they can insult others, or even try to be violent in real life, but in general it is peaceful. And how often are violent incidents at LAN parties?

If you can, then come around. This Friday. At least 200 visitors (see this survey), 3 local radio stations and maybe some TV coverage are expected. Unfortunately I have heard the day before yesterday about it, or else I would have posted this earlier. Be there, demonstrate and show unity!

The official website is in German only.

- Independent Friday Night Game, Demonstration für Jugendkultur! (05. Juni, Karlsruhe)