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Berlin, 2011-09-08
Open letter to Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin Fax (030) 9026-3021 Email: der-regierende-buergermeister@senatskanzlei.berlin.de As well as to Ehrhart Körting, Internal Affairs Senator Fax (030) 90223-2880 poststelle@seninnsport.berlin.de Concerning : for a "tented democracy"; a democracy with good roofs and thoughts.... Dear Sirs, It feels strange to me that pitching a tent as a symbol for Open Democracy in this open-minded town seems to be not permitted for the citizens of Berlin. This tent is meant as a symbol of sympathies for refugees who are forced to hide away in camps, living in tents after having escaped from poverty and war in certain global regions. As well as a tent is a symbol of a vital protest culture in democracies like being established in Cairo at Tahrir Square, in Spain at several places and now in Israel at least. A tent furthermore is a multidimensional banner holding slogans on four possible parts or directions, like it had been declared in the registration for the tent demonstration “for a tented democracy” [the German term in this case has a double meaning: “for a prudent democracy”] at August 26th this year: tents were supposed to be covered with object lessons, requests and claims addressed to a democratic public to express that there should be respect, hood and shelter for the people, particularly for the children in this society we aspire for. At Alexanderplatz we actually achieved to integrate homeless children and youngsters and to give them courage to face life. The intolerance and brutality we experienced at the evening on August 26th when our peaceful gathering was broken up by police who confiscated the tents, beating a young man brutally without any reason, points the question – not only in Germany but already world-wide spread - if Berlin still is to be seen as a democratic town or if it should be considered to ask for international election observers when the senate elections will take place on September 18th. I am a tolerant democratic person and I hope for your cautious manner and the public authorities to make concessions, so I will argue for an allowance of yours to have a probation period. In the name of democracy I would be obliged to you if you would not disappoint me. Sincerely yours, Alinka Seth |