Why doesn’t Freie Universität Berlin simply ban the protests?
Generally speaking, everyone in Germany has the right to freedom of assembly. Rallies and demonstrations held in public must be registered with the relevant authorities (in this case, the police in Berlin) with at least forty-eight hours’ notice before they can be announced. In line with Berlin’s Freedom of Assembly Act (Versammlungsfreiheitsgesetz), demonstrations that are held in public and have been authorized by the police may be allowed on Freie Universität Berlin’s premises if the space used to assemble is freely accessible to the public.
Demonstrations or similar political events in enclosed spaces on Freie Universität Berlin’s premises would theoretically require the approval, or at the very least the authorization, of Freie Universität Berlin, in order to go ahead. The university has approved no such event or demonstration. At first, the university did not interfere with the protest in lecture hall 1a on December 14, 2023. But when altercations took place and people began conducting themselves in a manner that did not adhere to the principles of respectful, open, and responsible dialogue, another course of action had to be taken.
(Last updated: January 8, 2024)