Thousands protest for more sustainable EU agriculture policy in Berlin

Peaceful Assembly

Under the slogan “We have enough of the agribusiness industry”, on 19th January 2019, around 35.000 people protested against the negative impact of EU agricultural subsidies in Berlin. The protest was organised in the context of the annual Berlin International Green Week, an international trade fair for processors and marketers in agriculture, horticulture and various food industries. Protesters highlighted, among other issues, that big agricultural farms benefit a lot more from subsidies than their smaller counterparts. Furthermore, according to the organisers, the subsidies also have a negative impact on climate change, and lead to the extinction of species and a decrease in small farms. The demonstration was peaceful and no incidents were reported. 

Expression

According to digital rights organisation European Digital Rights (EDRI), the number of police laws increased in Germany in 2018. Under the aim of fighting against terrorism, governments at the regional level are introducing "drastic measures of surveillance: governmental hacking via state trojans, more video surveillance, more police controls in the public space, lifelong restraining orders, weeks of imprisonment without legal aid and arming the police forces with machine guns."

Some protests took place, including by opposition politicians, unions and even fans from rival soccer clubs across the country who say the legislation expands police powers without enough protections for citizens. During the protests, groups carried banners featuring slogans such as "I'm a Feminist not a Terrorist!", “No to the new police law!” and “Fighting together for democratic rights,” as well as “Defend fundamental rights.”