Bremen Regional Court confirms penalty order against registering person of a Rally 2 years ago
Yesterday, about 30 activists sat almost 2 hours of their lives in the Regional Court of Bremen, instead of fighting on the streets for the right to stay and living perspectives in Bremen.
The reason for this was the appeal of a verdict against the right to assembly. Specifically, the district court confirmed today that the person who gave her name (“Anmelderin” / registering an assembly at public order office) for a Rally of Together we are Bremen on March 8, 2021 was guilty. She was sentenced by the district court on March 17 last year (see https://togetherwearebremen.org/defending-our-right-to-assembly/) to 30 daily rates or 6 months on probation, because she had violated the right to assembly. She was accused of not having read the regulations before the start of the Rally. She announced these regulations (wearing a mask, social distance, etc.) only after an activist, after the chaotic set-up with table, chairs and pavilion, called the assembled attendees together, greeted them and explained to them why TWAB wanted to protest with many Black mothers and children in front of the Interior Senate for 5 hours on International Women’s* Struggle Day: we were demonstrating against the racist practice of the registry office to systematically deny birth certificates with registered paternity for Black babies.
After the judge announced the verdict today, there was a rumble in the courtroom. One activist tried to ask a question but the judge refused. Nevertheless the activist spoke: “Shame on you, shame on this court for not recognising what this is actually all about. This is about silencing the voice of the marginalised and oppressed migrants in this society. This is about hindering any support for them in any way possible and it is a flagrant attack on the right to demonstrate for the rights of refugees. It is an attempt to make them accept institutional racism and white supremacy by making them afraid to fight for their rights”.
We would add: Our “Anmelderin” is judged guilty of a ridiculous action, while in most cases the perpetrators of racist attacks, murderers, like those of Laye Alama Condé, Oury Jalloh, Mohammed Idrissi, Qosay Khalaf and many others are not even charged to court let alone found guilty. This is happening in times of ongoing racist and antisemitic attacks in Hanau, Halle and many other places and in Bremen of all places where today, a public discussion on institutional racism is taking place. This is while antifascists are criminalized and put in prison. Its a real shame!
Today our Anmelderin was not alone in court. They met all of us. TWAB together with Solidarisch in Gröpelingen, Antira United and other friends showed solidarity, unity and strength in this unwarranted adversity and unnecessary waste of public funds.