George Floyd protests in Germany
Part of George Floyd protests
Protestors at Alexanderplatz in Berlin
Location
Germany

Shortly after protests seeking justice for George Floyd, an African American who was murdered during a police arrest, began in the United States, the people of Germany also began to protest to show solidarity with the Americans. Many also called on the German police to address its own racist practices and use of violence.[1][2]

People protested in over 40 cities and in all 16 states.

Protests

Police and protestors in Berlin

Most of the protests in Germany sparked by the murder of George Floyd were held on 6 June. On that day, in more than 30 cities the combined number of participants exceeded 100,000. In addition, 93 arrests made that day had been reported by the media, and at least two Black[lower-alpha 1] protestors had been sent to the hospital. The local Black Lives Matter movement claimed this was due to police brutality.[3]

Baden-Württemberg

  • Freiburg im Breisgau: Around 10,000 people protested at Platz der Alten Synagoge on 6 June.[4]
  • Karlsruhe: Around 4,000 people took part at two demonstrations at Friedrichsplatz and at Schlossplatz on 6 June.[4]
  • Konstanz: Around 1,000 people protested on 6 June.[4]
  • Mannheim: Around 4,000 people protested at the Ehrenhof of Mannheim Palace on 6 June.[4]
  • Stuttgart:
    • On 6 June, a protest against police brutality and racism took place. Thousands participated in a moment of silence to remember Floyd. Minor violence sparked from some protesters.[5][6]
    • The following week, in Bad Cannstatt, about 2000 people peacefully protested against racism and hate, under the motto "Solidarity with George Floyd".[lower-alpha 2][7] The protest was held in Bad Cannstatt to provide enough space for the practice of pandemic protocols.[7] According to the police, social distancing was observed during the demonstration.[7]
  • Tübingen: Around 1,000 people protested at Holzmarkt on 6 June.[4]

Bavaria

  • Aschaffenburg: Around 150 people attended a protest at Theaterplatz on 6 June.[8]
  • Augsburg: More than 3,000 people protested on 6 June in the city of Augsburg.[9]
  • Munich:
    • About 350 people protested in Munich on 31 May. Protesters peacefully marched through the inner city and passed by the US Consulate.[10]
    • On 6 June, about 25,000 people gathered at the Königsplatz.[11]
  • Nuremberg:
    • Around 300 people protested in Nuremberg on 5 June.[12]
    • On 6 June, about 5,000 people came to protest at the Wöhrder Wiese.[13]
  • Würzburg:
    • Around 1,000 people protested on the Mainwiesen on 5 June.[8]
    • Around 800 people protested on 6 June in the city of Würzburg.[8]

Berlin

Protestors in Berlin holding up signs
Protestors at Alexanderplatz
At a protest in Berlin
Protestors at the Brandenburg Gate

Thousands of people protested in Berlin on 30 May. Many gathered in front of the US Embassy, chanting "black lives matter."[14] On 6 June, over 15,000 gathered at Alexanderplatz before its closure to new arrivals, joining in a protest that ended in mild violence and a currently unknown number of arrests.[15][16]

Brandenburg

  • Potsdam: About 50 to 60 people protested against police brutality on Brandenburger Straße in the city center.[17] The protest was unregistered, and police were dispatched to the location.[17]

Bremen

  • Bremen: About 2,500 protesters showed up to a peaceful protest on 2 June.[18]
  • Bremerhaven: Around 200 people protested against racism in memory of Floyd. Protestors also observed 8′46″ of silence.[19]

Hamburg

On 5 June, around 4,500 people attended a protest outside the US Consulate along the banks of the Alster River.[20] Around 14,000 people peacefully protested on 6 June. Afterwards the police and a group of protesters clashed marginally together, up to 35 protesters were arrested.[21][22]

Hesse

  • Frankfurt am Main:
    • On 3 June, hundreds protested at locations in central Frankfurt.[23]
    • On 5 June, about 3,000 showed up to the city center.[24]
    • On 6 June, around 8,000 protested around Römer and Paulsplatz.[25]
  • Fulda: Around 2,000 people gathered Universitätsplatz on 6 June.[26]
  • Kassel: Around 3,000 people gathered in front of Kassel Hauptbahnhof on 6 June.[26]
  • Marburg: Nearly 3,000 people protested in front of Erwin-Piscator-Haus on 6 June.[26]
  • Wiesbaden: Around 500 people protested at Luisenplatz on 6 June.[26]

Lower Saxony

  • Brunswick: More than 2,000 people protested at Kohlmarkt on 6 June.[27]
  • Göttingen: About 1,750 people gathered in protest on 6 June in a largely peaceful protest.[11]
  • Hanover: More than 8,500 people protested on 6 June.[28]
  • Oldenburg: Up to 1,300 people protested at Schlossplatz on 6 June.[29]
  • Osnabrück: Approximately 2,000 protesters gathered at the city's castle for a silent protest on 6 June.[30]

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania

  • Rostock: More than 600 people protested at Doberaner Platz on 6 June.[25]

North Rhine-Westphalia

  • Aachen: Around 500 people protested in front of the Aachen Hauptbahnhof on 7 June.[31]
  • Bielefeld: Around 600 people protested at Kesselbrink on 4 June.[32]
  • Bonn: Around 600 people protested at Münsterplatz on 6 June.[33]
  • Cologne:
    • A series of protests took place on 6 June, including one with over 10,000 attendees.[34][35]
    • Around 5,000 people marched from Neumarkt to Deutzer Werft on 7 June.[36]
  • Dortmund: Around 5,000 people (4,000 stated by police) protested at Hansaplatz on 6 June.[37]
  • Duisburg: Around 300 people protested at Heinrich-König-Platz on 3 June.[38]
  • Düsseldorf: On 6 June, about 20,000 protesters marched through Düsseldorf's streets.[39]
  • Lippstadt: Around 300 people protested at Rathausplatz on 6 June.[40]
  • Münster: More than 2,000 people protested at Schlossplatz on 6 June.[41]
  • Paderborn: Around 120 people protested on 7 June.[31]

Rhineland-Palatinate

  • Kaiserslautern:
    • Around 200 people gathered at Stiftskirche on 4 June.[42]
    • Around 80 people protested on 7 June.[43]
  • Mainz: Around 2,500 people gathered at the banks of the River Rhine on 6 June.[44]
  • Trier:
    • Around 600 people protested on 6 June.[44]
    • A commemoration to the victims of racism with 120 people was held on 7 June.[44]

Saarland

  • Saarbrücken: 2,000 to 3,000 people protested in front of Congresshalle on 6 June.[45]

Saxony

  • Chemnitz: At least 1,500 people gathered spontaneously at Roter Turm on 6 June.[46]
  • Dresden: Around 4,000 people marched on 6 June.[25]
  • Leipzig:
    • Around 700 people protested on 6 June.[25]
    • More than 15,000 people protested on 7 June in the city centre of Leipzig.[47]

Saxony-Anhalt

Schleswig-Holstein

Thuringia

  • Jena: About 400 people protested in Jena on 2 June. They marched peacefully through the city.[49]

Murals

Mural on the Berlin Wall[50] – 31 May

A mural depicting Floyd was painted in Berlin's Mauerpark, on a section of the Berlin Wall, a day after the video of Floyd's murder spread on social media.[51][50]

A mural depicting Floyd had also been painted at an underpass in Mannheim's Schlossgarten.[52][53]

Response

Government

Chancellor Angela Merkel called the murder of George Floyd a "very very terrible thing", and also condemned racism as "something terrible".[54][55] Merkel also noted that she tried "to bring people together, to seek reconciliation", but that US President Trump's "political style is a very controversial one".[55]

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stated that "[t]he peaceful protests that we see in the US, involving many moving gestures, including by American police officers, are understandable and more than legitimate", adding that he hoped the protests had an impact and did not turn violent.[56][57]

Celebrities

Borussia Mönchengladbach football player Marcus Thuram took a knee and bowed his head for a few seconds after scoring a goal.[51] His coach Marco Rose stated that Thuram's sign against racism was "one we all completely support of course".[51]

Borussia Dortmund football player Jadon Sancho removed his jersey after scoring a goal to reveal a shirt with the words "Justice For George Floyd" written on it.[51][58] He received a yellow card for the move.[51]

Federal government reaction to anti-journalist violence

While reporting from Minneapolis, Deutsche Welle's Stefan Simons and his crew were shot at by police in two separate incidents and threatened with arrest in a third incident.[59][60][56]

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who had been made aware of the incidents, stated that "[j]ournalists must be able to carry out their task, which is independent coverage of events, without endangering their safety".[56] He added that "[d]emocratic states under the rule of law have to meet the highest standards when it comes to protecting freedom of press", and criticized violence directed toward working journalists.[56][57]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Source specifically uses the phrase "Black participants" in the English text, and "Schwarze Teilnehmer" in the German text.[3]
  2. ↑ The original motto in German was "Solidarität mit George Floyd".[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Germany struggles to face its own police racism | 05.06.2020". Deutsche Welle.
  2. ↑ "Germany to launch study probing racism among police | 11.06.2020". Deutsche Welle.
  3. 1 2 "Stellungnahme zu rassistischer Polizeigewalt - 06.06.2020". 9 June 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Über 10.000 Teilnehmer demonstrieren bei "Black Lives Matter"-Protesten in Baden-Württemberg". SWR (in German). 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 10 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  5. ↑ Schweigeminute für George Floyd in Stuttgart auf der Demo Querdenken, retrieved 10 June 2020
  6. ↑ ""Black lives matter"-Demos in Baden-Württemberg lassen die Corona-Proteste kläglich aussehen". 8 June 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 ""Black lives matter"-Demo in Stuttgart: Protest bleibt friedlich!". 14 June 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 "Proteste gegen Rassismus in Würzburg in und Aschaffenburg". BR (in German). 8 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  9. ↑ Allgemeine, Augsburger. "3000 Augsburger gedenken George Floyd bei 'Silent Protest'". Augsburger Allgemeine.
  10. ↑ "350 Menschen protestieren gegen Polizeigewalt in den USA" (in German). Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 31 May 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  11. 1 2 Freymark, Linus (6 June 2020). "25 000 Münchner demonstrieren gegen Rassismus". Süddeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  12. ↑ Schickler, Timo. ""No justice, no peace": Demo gegen Rassismus in Gostenhof". nordbayern. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  13. ↑ Handl, Johannes. ""Black Lives Matter": 5000 Menschen demonstrieren gegen Rassismus". nordbayern. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  14. ↑ "George Floyd killing: Curfews ignored as US race protests rage". Deutsche Welle. 31 May 2020.
  15. ↑ Meischen, Dennis (6 June 2020). "15.000 Menschen am Alexanderplatz – und kaum Abstand". Berliner Morgenpost. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  16. ↑ "George Floyd killing spurs fresh protests across Europe". Deutsche Welle. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  17. 1 2 "Demo gegen Polizeigewalt sorgt für Polizeieinsatz". Der Tagesspiegel Online.
  18. ↑ ""Gerechtigkeit für George Floyd": 2500 bei Demo in Bremen". n-tv (in German). DPA Landesdienst Niedersachsen/Bremen. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "200 Bremerhavener demonstrieren gegen Rassismus – buten un binnen". butenunbinnen.de. 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  20. ↑ "Germany: Thousands attend anti-racism protests honoring George Floyd | DW | 5 June 2020". DW. Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  21. ↑ "Demo in Hamburg 14.000 protestieren gegen Rassismus – Ausschreitungen im Nachgang". MOPO.de (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  22. ↑ "Zehntausende demonstrieren in Deutschland gegen Rassismus". inSüdthüringen.de (in German). 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  23. ↑ Frankfurt's (Germany) George Floyd Protest – 06/03/2020, retrieved 4 June 2020
  24. ↑ Thorwarth, Katja (6 June 2020) [3 June 2020]. "Tausende demonstrieren gegen rassistische Polizeigewalt – heute erneut Protest". Frankfurter Neue Presse (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 "Zehntausende demonstrieren in Deutschland gegen Rassismus und Polizeigewalt". RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  26. 1 2 3 4 "Über 15.000 Hessen schweigen gegen Rassismus und Polizeigewalt". hessenschau (in German). 6 June 2020. Archived from the original on 7 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  27. ↑ "Über 2.000 Braunschweiger demonstrieren gegen Rassismus". Braunschweiger Zeitung (in German). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  28. ↑ "Mehr als 8500 Demonstranten zeigen in Hannover Flagge gegen Rassismus". Hannoversche Allgemeine (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  29. ↑ "Wut und Trauer über Rassismus auch in Oldenburg". Nordwest Zeitung (in German). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  30. ↑ "Zigtausende demonstrieren in Deutschland gegen Rassismus". Stuttgarter Zeitung (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  31. 1 2 "Demonstrationen in NRW gegen Rassismus". WDR (in German). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  32. ↑ "600 Menschen bei Demo gegen Rassismus in Bielefeld". WDR (in German). 5 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  33. ↑ "Friedlicher Protest gegen Rassismus und für mehr Hilfe für Geflüchtete". General-Anzeiger (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  34. ↑ Taab, Daniel (6 June 2020). "Stiller Protest: Kölner demonstrieren gegen Rassismus". Kölnische Rundschau (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  35. ↑ "Riesige Anti-Rassismus-Demo in Köln: Mehr Teilnehmer als erwartet – bewegende Szenen". express.de (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  36. ↑ "Tausende Kölner demonstrieren auch am Sonntag gegen Rassismus". Kölner Stadtanzeiger (in German). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  37. ↑ "5000 Menschen bei Anti-Rassismus-Demo in der Dortmunder City". Ruhr Nachrichten (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  38. ↑ "300 Demonstranten gegen Rassismus und Polizeigewalt". Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (in German). 3 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  39. ↑ Schliewa, Colja (6 June 2020). "20.000 Teilnehmer auf der Straße: Düsseldorf setzt ganz starkes Zeichen gegen Rassismus". express.de (in German). Retrieved 6 June 2020.
  40. ↑ "Hunderte protestieren im Kreis Soest – Demo-Teilnehmer berichten: So erleben wir Rassismus im Alltag". Westfälischer Anzeiger (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  41. ↑ "Über 2000 demonstrieren gegen Rassismus". Westfälische Nachrichten (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  42. ↑ ""Black Lives Matter" – Kundgebung vor der Stiftskirche in Kaiserslautern". Stadtecho Kaiserslautern (in German). 5 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  43. ↑ "Demos ruhig verlaufen". SWR (in German). 8 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  44. 1 2 3 "Rheinland-Pfälzer protestieren gegen Rassismus". SWR (in German). 7 June 2020. Archived from the original on 14 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  45. ↑ "Tausende demonstrieren gegen Rassismus und Polizeigewalt". Saarbrücker Zeitung (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  46. ↑ "Plötzlich Spontandemonstration vor Polizeidirektion". tag24 (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  47. ↑ "Mehr als 15.000 Menschen bei Demo gegen Rassismus in Leipzig | MDR.DE". mdr.de.
  48. ↑ "Demo in Flensburg: Flagge zeigen gegen Rassismus". NDR (in German). 6 June 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2020.
  49. ↑ "Solidarität in Jena mit #BlackLivesMatter "wir sollten ein System hinterfragen, welches Menschen auf brutalste Weise umbringt"". Libertad Media (in German). 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  50. 1 2 Schmitz, Rob (8 June 2020). "In Germany, George Floyd's Death Sparks Protests — And Artwork That Honors His Life". NPR.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 "Anti-racism protests spread to Berlin and London | 31.05.2020". Deutsche Welle.
  52. ↑ "Radiobeitrag: George Floyd und die Kunstwelt". monopol-magazin.de.
  53. ↑ "Mannheim: "Black lives matter"-Demo – Menschen gehen für George Floyd auf die Straße". mannheim24.de. 6 June 2020.
  54. ↑ "Germany's Merkel calls for reconciliation after 'terrible' Floyd murder". Reuters. 4 June 2020.
  55. 1 2 "Merkel condemns racist 'murder' of George Floyd". thelocal.de. 4 June 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  56. 1 2 3 4 "Germany's top diplomat: George Floyd protests 'legitimate,' urges press freedom | 02.06.2020". Deutsche Welle.
  57. 1 2 "Twitter" – via Twitter.
  58. ↑ "SC Paderborn 1–6 Borussia Dortmund: England's Jadon Sancho scores hat-trick on return". BBC. 31 May 2020.
  59. ↑ "Video". Retrieved 18 June 2020 – via YouTube.
  60. ↑ "US heads into a new week shaken by police brutality protests | 01.06.2020". Deutsche Welle.
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