Status: 04/09/2022 3:38 p.m
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Several pro-Russian rallies have been announced this weekend, for example in Hanover and Frankfurt. Domestic politicians call it “difficult to bear.” Interior Minister Faeser calls on the police to intervene in violations of the law.
In view of the planned pro-Russian demos in Germany, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser has called on the police to monitor them closely and punish violations of regulations. “Showing the ‘Z’ glorifies war crimes and can therefore, in our opinion, be prosecuted. We need consistent police intervention here,” Faeser told the “Welt am Sonntag”. Domestic politicians from other parties made similar statements.
Freedom of demonstration – a valuable asset
“If hatred is called for and crimes are committed, the assembly must be dissolved,” said the domestic spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Sebastian Hartmann, the editorial network Germany (RND). The freedom of demonstration and freedom of opinion is a high, fundamentally protected good, people should and are allowed to protest. “What is not working, however, is that the Russian invasion of Ukraine, where such terrible war crimes as in Bucha were committed, is being celebrated and glorified on our streets,” Hartmann said. The assembly authorities would have to check every registration carefully and put conditions on the demonstrations.
The domestic spokeswoman for the Greens, Irene Mihalic, told the RND: “It is almost unbearable when the aggressors are publicly celebrated in view of the Russian war of aggression and against the background of the mass murders in places like Butscha.” The police should therefore pay very close attention to when a criminal limit is crossed, for example when war crimes are publicly approved. This could happen, for example, with the “Z” symbol in a specific context.
“Z” ban may be difficult to implement legally
However, Mihalic described the enforcement of the ban on the “Z” symbol as difficult because it was difficult to prove that the symbol and not the letter was meant.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, a white “Z” has often been seen on Russian tanks and uniforms. It is often interpreted as “Za Pobedu” – “For Victory”. Even outside the war zone, many people are showing it on cars and clothing, and on social media in support of the war of aggression.
Last Sunday, a motorcade through Berlin caused outrage. Flags in the Russian colors of white, blue and red could be seen on numerous cars. According to Berlin’s Secretary of State for the Interior, Torsten Akmann, the Z symbol was also shown. This weekend, pro-Russian demonstrations are planned again in several cities – for example in Hanover, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. In some cases, wearing certain symbols has been banned in advance.
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