War against Ukraine - Police justify ban on Ukrainian speeches at demo
The Berlin Police defend the rejection of speech contributions in Ukrainian language at a Ukrainian demonstration in front of the Russian embassy. After this action was criticized on Monday, the police wrote today on the platform X to ensure the protection of assembly freedom and the observance of the associated rules, the law enforcement officers had to understand speech contributions and interjections. In the preparatory talks, speech contributions in German and English language had been agreed upon - "unfortunately, a Ukrainian translation could not be provided in the short term". However, speeches in Ukrainian were accepted in some cases for a peaceful course.
A participant of the demonstration of Ukrainian groups, who are currently protesting against the Russian air raid on a hospital, described the police action as "grossly unlawful" on the internet. "Assembly freedom protects, among other things, the way of expressing opinions - and thus also the language." The police's representation is "inaccurate". Ukrainian speech contributions were banned. "Opinion expressions are fundamentally permissible and not dependent on whether the police 'accepts' them."
- The criticism towards the Berlin Police's decision to ban Ukrainian speech contributions during the demonstration in front of the Russian embassy has gained traction, with many arguing that it infringes on assembly freedom and the right to express opinions in any language.
- Russia, in response to the ongoing situation, has issued a statement expressing concern over the demonstration in Berlin, emphasizing the importance of maintaining peace and order during such events and adhering to the established rules and regulations, including theuse of the agreed-upon languages.
- Despite the assertions from Russian authorities, several European countries have expressed their solidarity with the Ukrainian protesters and have called for greater freedom of speech and assembly, encouraging dialogue and understanding between the two nations.
