“Loudly and peacefully”
Why demonstrate? Three people explain what prompts them to take to the streets - and what the right of assembly means to them.
Simone, one of those who took part in the “Mainz ist bunt” (Mainz is colourful/diverse) demonstration to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
“I go out and demonstrate because political and social participation is important. Because it is important to stand up for what you believe in, to stand up for basic democratic values, especially when you see them as being under threat. And to be quite honest, this issue needs to be paid more attention. It needs support. It needs peaceful protests. Being allowed to demonstrate is a basic right and enables all citizens to actively participate in political and social decision-making processes. It is the job of us all, our social duty as it were, to protect and exercise this basic right whenever necessary.”
Dirk Riedel, IG Metall union workplace representative at Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG
“It is our job to fight for the generation that comes after us, just as our grandfathers, mothers and fathers did before us. The right to demonstrate is part of Germany’s DNA and must be guaranteed at any time. People must be allowed to campaign loudly and peacefully for their rights in order to be able to change certain things. No collective wage agreement or political decision is ever concluded or taken only at the negotiating table, but always on the street, too.”
Rebekka, a participant in the 1 May demonstration in Frankfurt am Main
“I see many things as unjust - but wider society often doesn’t seem to notice. For me it’s about expressing my solidarity with those affected. What I want to say to them is: “We see what is happening, we are walking with you.” When I demonstrate, I sometimes have the sense that I am being mocked. Something along the lines of ‘just let the young people get it out of their system’. But the right to demonstrate is so important in a democracy and must continue to be protected. Sometimes you can see that this freedom is restricted in other states. How a country handles its protests says a lot about the state of its democracy.”
The right to demonstrate
In Germany, the right of assembly is enshrined in Article 8 of the Basic Law. All citizens have the right to assemble peacefully to express their opinion publicly.
