
Germany: Police arrested more than 100 people who protested against the lockdown - hirako2000
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-germany-protests/i-want-my-life-back-germans-protest-against-lockdown-idUSKCN2270RD
======
_Microft
Context: demonstrations in Germany do not require permission [0] but they can
be forbidden in case that they endanger the public safety or order. Such a ban
has happened here on the advice of the health office. The protesters ignored
it and gathered anyways. (There were no objections by the health office to
distributing flyers instead but it seems that wasn't enough for them). They
even did not seem to keep distance either.

Dissolving this protest feels actually warranted, in my opinion.

[0] They need to be announced in advance to authorities though, so
preparations like securing the course of the march against traffic or
providing a police escort can be made.

~~~
the-dude
Some context on the freedom to gather/protest from NL, triggerd by your [0].

In NL our authorities are also keen to stress 'the need' for a protest to be
announced to the local authorities.

However, it is only common courtesy to do so : constitutionally, there is no
such requirement.

~~~
_Microft
This need is actually a legal one, not only a recommendation.

The _Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany_ (i.e. the 'constitution')
says

 _Art[ikel] 8

(1) Alle Deutschen haben das Recht, sich ohne Anmeldung oder Erlaubnis
friedlich und ohne Waffen zu versammeln. (2) Für Versammlungen unter freiem
Himmel kann dieses Recht durch Gesetz oder auf Grund eines Gesetzes beschränkt
werden._

Notice sentence (2) which says that gatherings outdoors can be restricted by
law. This law is called Versammlungsgesetz [0] here and, among other things,
it states that all gatherings except spontaneous ones (i.e. without any
advance organization) have to be announced 48 hours in advance at the latest.

From what I can tell, such a relativization also exists in the Dutch
constitution [1]. I do not think that I could look up the actual law
specifying the details in a reasonable timeframe, though.

[0]
[https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versammlungsgesetz_(Deutschlan...](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versammlungsgesetz_\(Deutschland\))

[1]
[https://nl.wikisource.org/wiki/Nederlandse_grondwet/Hoofdstu...](https://nl.wikisource.org/wiki/Nederlandse_grondwet/Hoofdstuk_1#Artikel_9)
\- "Artikel 9: Het recht tot vergadering en betoging wordt erkend, behoudens
ieders verantwoordelijkheid volgens de wet. De wet kan regels stellen ter
bescherming van de gezondheid, in het belang van het verkeer en ter
bestrijding of voorkoming van wanordelijkheden."

\----

 _Edit:_ This, maybe?
[https://www.parlementairemonitor.nl/9353000/1/j9vvij5epmj1ey...](https://www.parlementairemonitor.nl/9353000/1/j9vvij5epmj1ey0/vi32nncrafzq#p2)

~~~
the-dude
Thanks for your thorough reply, appreciated. I will keep it short though.

I can't speak for the German case, but I am sure about the Dutch one. However,
if your demonstration is a threat to the public order ( health, traffic etc )
you are (criminally) responsible.

But this is always the case, demonstration or no demonstration.

So I will repeat, in NL there is no requirement to register your protest with
the authorities.

------
hirako2000
Not sure where we stand with democracy these days.

~~~
celticninja
I suggest you read the article, this isn't the police jumping in and arresting
anybody the congregates in a group of more than 10. this is where protesters
are given options alternatives and they refuse them, they then refuse to
observe social distancing during their protest and then they are subsequently
arrested. democracy is not dying because of the sort of arrests. and people
that say that are being overly dramatic. personally I see it as an extension
of natural selection, I don't care if all those idiots die, but they will
spread it to others too.

