{
  "id": 10951057,
  "title": "Servers at Munich's iconic Oktoberfest call for more respect",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/servers-at-munichs-iconic-oktoberfest-call-for-more-respect",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-30T13:22:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/servers-at-munich-s-iconic-oktoberfest-call-for-more-respect/a-79491207?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "For the first week of Munich's Oktoberfest, things remained calm, according to the festival's director Christian Scharpf. The city's Deputy Mayor, Verena Dietl, commended the \"peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.\" Even the police force reported positively about the situation. However, a closer look reveals that not everything is ideal at the \"Wiesn.\" Service workers, who are at the center of the festivities, have painted a contrasting picture. They often face situations that go unreported and unnoticed in the statistics, but sometimes, the line is crossed. Instances of racist and discriminatory comments have been reported. In response, a group of service staff have initiated an appeal for \"mutual respect at the Wiesn.\" In a video shared on Instagram and TikTok, they stated, \"For years, we have noticed how it is now acceptable to say certain things again, and there is less outcry.\" The staff members attribute their initiative to the recent election victories of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt, as well as their personal experiences at Oktoberfest. They believe that the current climate indicates a rise in right-wing views gaining social acceptance, hence the name of their initiative: \"Staff Against the Right.\" A spokesperson for vendors at Oktoberfest reaffirmed that the entire festival family has always been against any form of discrimination, racism, and sexism. Yet, those supporting the new initiative want to see greater efforts to tackle the issue. There is certainly no lack of surveillance at Oktoberfest, which is monitored by 56 police CCTV cameras and guarded by approximately 600 police officers, along with thousands of private security staff. By the halfway point, police had logged around 470 offenses, including assault, sexual harassment, and upskirting – secretly filming or photographing someone's skirt. Oktoberfest, the world's largest folk festival, hosts millions of visitors from around the globe every year. At the halfway mark, organizers estimated attendance at around 3.8 million people. Oktoberfest concludes on October 4 after 16 days of festivities.",
  "summary": "Oktoberfest is famous the world over for beer, brass band music and Bavarian traditions. But staff at the Wiesn are also reporting incidents of racism and sexism and taking a stand against discrimination.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "DW News",
        "title": "Servers at Munich's iconic Oktoberfest call for more respect",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/30/servers-at-munichs-iconic-oktoberfest-call-for-more-respect-10954789",
        "published": "2026-09-30T13:22:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}