increasing penalties for law breaches during Querdenker protest gatherings is being advocated by the SPD
In response to recent demonstrations by a group known as "lateral thinkers" in the cities of Kassel and Stuttgart, the German government is proposing increased fines for individuals and organisers who violate COVID-19-related restrictions at protests.
The proposed changes aim to impose substantially higher fines, with the limit for violations of the mask requirement or distance regulations set at 2,500 euros - ten times the current limit.
The SPD, Greens, and FDP coalition parties generally support stronger measures to protect public health, while opposition viewpoints vary. Konstantin Kuhle of the FDP faction in the Bundestag believes that the freedom of assembly applies during the pandemic, but stricter conditions should be imposed, such as with regard to the demonstration route or the number of participants.
Johannes Fechner, the parliamentary legal spokesman of the SPD faction, has called for these higher fines in response to the non-compliance with corona regulations observed at the demonstrations. He advocates for a stricter approach, stating that dissolving a demonstration of 15,000 aggressive people is difficult.
Interior ministers of the federal and state governments should agree on a common standard for dealing with such assemblies, oriented towards case law, according to Kuhle. Fechner believes the city administration in Stuttgart made a mistake in not preventing a demonstration of 15,000 people.
Cities and municipalities have no leeway in this matter, as mentioned by Fechner. These proposed changes are part of Germany's ongoing balancing act between public health protection and preserving democratic freedoms as the country transitions towards living with the virus.
The exact amounts for current or proposed fines on coronavirus rule violations at demonstrations were not detailed in the available sources, reflecting a lack of published exact figures in these results. For precise current and proposed fine amounts or detailed political statements on this issue, further targeted documents or official government releases would need to be consulted.
Read also:
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
- Tinubu's administration allegedly causing issues within every political party as Peter Obi's name surfaces - Obidient Movement asserts
