4 hours agoUnprecedented for Germany: 13 journalists arrested during duty
Periskopi(5 years ago)
(5 years ago)Berlin police reported that 13 journalists were arrested Saturday while reporting about a protest by environmental protection activists who were rejecting construction of a highway in the German capital. Journalists were reporting for an early morning rally, with the cases of protesters blocking the location of highway work [...]
Journalists were reporting for an early morning rally, with protesters ' cases blocking the location of the A100 highway work. This protest was organised by organisation “My Sand Getriebe”, writes Independent, broadcast the Express newspaper.
“They entered the work site along with activists, so we were treated as participants in protest”, said Berlin Police spokesman Martin Halweg.
Police spokesman added that journalists and activists are now being investigated under suspicion that they have entered the site without permission. Works on building the new highway are developing the public company, “Auttobahn GmbH”.
Joerg Rachel, executive director of the journalists union, The DJ, in Berlin and the state of Brandenburg, accused police of unmovable journalists from doing their job. Rachel herself was among the journalists arrested, who could face charges of illegal entry into the workplace.
Some 300 attended the protest. Environmental protection groups say building new highways in Berlin and other parts of the country undermine Germany's efforts to combat the greenhouse effect. They claim that the billions spent on road construction would have to be invested in more ecological means of transport, such as trains.
