Left-Extremist Endeavours

VI. Propaganda and Communications Media
1. Publishers, Distribution Companies, and Periodic
Publications
In 1999, nearly 40 publishing houses and distribution companies
serving a left-extremist audience disseminated newspapers, journals
and books. The total number of their periodical publications -
some 230 - and the total number of copies - about 8 million -
have remained constant as compared to the previous year.
2. New Communications Media
Left-wing extremists also made use of electronic communication
media such as the Internet and mailboxes for promoting their
public image and for agitation and mobilization.
In this context, the Internet - especially the WorldWideWeb
(WWW) - mainly serves to provide information intended to be
generally accessible; for internal communications, use is chiefly
made of mailboxes.
2.1 Internet
Almost the entire left-extremist spectrum is by now represented
on the Internet.
Larger left-extremist organizations, such as the "German Communist
Party" (DKP), the "Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany"
(MLPD) and the "Rote Hilfe e.V." (RH - "Red Aid"), make use of
the facilities provided by the Internet in the same way as is done
by most autonomous groups, e.g. the Göttingen-based "Autonome
Antifa (M)", the "Antifaschistische Aktion Berlin" (AAB) and
the Stuttgart-based group "AQuadrat" ("A squared").
Also the "Party of Democratic Socialism" (PDS) is presented on
the Internet. Its homepage offers, for instance, current press reports
and press statements by the PDS parliamentary group of
the Bundestag and a variety of publications. A comprehensive list
of links refers to the Internet sites of (PDS) Land and district associations.
In addition to the "nadir" project which was set up by members of
the autonomous scene in Hamburg and which continues to have
a role model function for the left-extremist Internet sector, new
projects have been developed as well. By now, a large variety of
Internet sites publish appeals and announce event schedules
which are of interest to the left-extremist scene.
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