Basic Law, Article 8

(1) All Germans shall have the right to assemble peacefully and unarmed without prior notification or permission.
(2) In the case of outdoor assemblies, this right may be restricted by or pursuant to a law.

Freedom of assembly guarantees the right of individuals to influence the political process in a way that is both grassroot and outside the usual political process. Constitutional battles have been waged for this freedom. Many refer to it as a “basic political right”. In any case, this basic right is often exercised only when an issue becomes so important for citizens that they feel compelled to “take to the streets”.

The photograph depicts a demonstration on the Heumarkt square in Cologne in May 2022. The singer is calling for a greater push for peace in the Ukraine-Russia war. The stand is then packed up and the organisers will encourage others to join them on a “Monday Walk” to protest the pandemic restrictions which were in place at the time. The some 20 protesters are followed shortly thereafter by a large counter-protest with many thousands of demonstrators expressing their support for Ukraine. The police accompany both demonstrations discreetly, but attentively, from the wings.