Servers at Munich's iconic Oktoberfest call for more respect

"The first week went by peacefully," Oktoberfest Director Christian Scharpf said at the festival's half-way point. Munich's Deputy Mayor Verena Dietl praised the "good, harmonious atmosphere." The city's police force also delivered a positive report half-way through the event in Munich . But if you take a closer look, all is not rosy at the Wiesn. Service personnel are among those painting a very different picture. After all, they're the ones at the heart of the action. The situations they encounter often go unreported and don't appear in the statistics, but sometimes a line is crossed. Racist, discriminatory comments, for example. In response, a group of service staff have launched an initiative calling for "mutual respect at the Wiesn.