Unacceptable action by the State authorities in Germany against freedom of expression and assembly

2.4.2019

Question for written answer E-001622-19
to the Commission
Rule 130
Udo Voigt (NI)

In Dresden in Saxony, a public event on ‘German culture in Germany’ was recently organised by the well-known vlogger ‘Der Volkslehrer’. The police responded to this event with an excessively large and intimidating police presence. After just a few minutes, the rally was broken up by the police in response to peacefully expressed criticisms of migration, which did not break any law. One of the speakers was dragged from the stage and arrested by police officers in riot gear acting in a militaristic and violent manner.

The police threatened violence against a number of participants in the rally who were behaving peacefully, and people were ordered to leave the scene. Objectively speaking, this was a blatant breach of the rule of law.

During the debate on the procedures against Hungary, Poland and Romania, the Commission has repeatedly cited Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union: ‘The EU is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. These values are common to the Member States in a society in which pluralism, non-discrimination, tolerance, justice, solidarity and equality between women and men prevail.’

In the case of Dresden, does the Commission consider that Germany has infringed the above articles by restricting freedom of expression and freedom of assembly? If not, why not?