Berlin Authorities Prohibit Use of Ukrainian Language at Demonstration, Reports Media

While the options to express in English and German were reportedly available, prohibiting speeches in Ukrainian left the pro-Kiev demonstrators significantly "outraged".

Ukrainians protesting against the Russian Embassy in Berlin were disallowed by the German police from making speeches in their native language, Ukrainian. As per local media reports, the given reason was to maintain law and order.

On Monday, individuals convened for a "spontaneous" protest at the Russian diplomatic office located centrally in Berlin. This action was a response to a fatal missile strike purportedly directed at a children's hospital in Kiev on the same day, states the Berliner-Kurier newspaper.

According to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, Russia had intentionally targeted the hospital, an allegation Russia denies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov clarified on Tuesday their policy of refraining from striking non-military targets. Furthermore, the Russian Defense Ministry suggested that the incident arose from a Ukrainian air defense missile hitting the building, completely dismissing Kiev's accusations as "absolutely false".

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The Ukrainian NGO Vitsche was responsible for organizing the protest in Berlin which was attended by "hundreds of people," according to a report by Bild. Repeated chants of "Long live Ukraine" in Ukrainian echoed from the protesters, as added by the outlet.

Yet, as stated by Maria Borysenko, the NGO’s spokeswoman, cited by the Berliner-Kurier, protesters were barred from delivering speeches in Ukrainian. This restriction left the demonstrators irate, particularly because a large section of the participants lacked proficiency in German, adds the outlet.

The Berlin police rationalized their decision on the grounds of not having an interpreter available readily, however they were open to speeches being delivered in either English or German, as reported by Bild.

According to Nikolas von Bulow, a consultant at the Berlin police operations and situation center, speaking to the Berliner-Kurier, the responsibility of maintaining law and order falls upon the police. He also mentioned that the protest was registered "spontaneously" at 1 p.m. local time. He noted that requests for demonstrations are usually lodged 48 hours prior to the event.

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While Germany has no laws mandating a particular language at demonstrations, the police can introduce restrictions for preserving public safety or order if necessary, according to Bild. Due to the lack of available interpreters or to prevent potential provocative slogans, speeches are sometimes required to be presented in German or English, the paper elaborated.