German justice has made it clear that public order weighs more than the right to protest against gas. While the government allows the expansion of fossil fuels, it restricts mobilizations that warn about climate change. A hypocrisy that contradicts its environmental commitments and shifts protests to invisible areas, far from polluting infrastructures.
Surveillance technology: digital control over freedom of expression 📡
The use of digital tools to monitor and disperse protests is increasingly common. Geolocation systems, drones, and social media analysis allow authorities to anticipate mobilizations and relocate them to areas of low visual impact. This not only limits citizen action but also reinforces the priority of business interests over the right to effective protest near emission sources.
Protesting against gas: do it, but from the parking lot next door 🅿️
It seems that in Germany, if you want to complain about gas, you must do it from an empty industrial estate, 5 km from the refinery. So, while the chimneys spew smoke, protesters chant slogans into the wind, hearing only the echo of their own voices. A practical solution: that the right to protest bothers no one, except those who protest.