Actual photo of the military band at Merkel's departure ceremony
Outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel called on Germans to stand up to hatred, at a military ceremony Thursday bidding her farewell after 16 years in office.
Merkel was honored with a traditional military musical performance and march
in front of almost all the country's political elite — save for the far-right Alternative for Germany, who weren't invited.
"Our democracy also lives from the fact that wherever hatred and violence are seen as a legitimate means of pursuing one's interests,
our tolerance as democrats has to find its limit," said in a speech ahead of the ceremony.
The event, which was held at the Defense Ministry rather than in a more public setting due to pandemic constraints, involved a parade and a brass band playing three songs of Merkel's choice.
The first piece was "You Forgot the Color Film" released in 1974 by East German-born punk singer Nina Hagen. In it, the singer recounts a young woman's lament that her boyfriend failed to take color pictures of their beach holiday.
Comment: Canada joins in:
Those who have lived it before sound a warning: