Police behaviour at this year’s Ende Gelände actions was once again unconsiderate. You can read up on the details using our fact check (german only, yet). The police officers put the activists in danger and attacked them. Riding horses into crowds and then pushing people so that fall over may and does produce (severe) injuries. Attacking people sitting peacefully with pepper spray and beating some of them so hard as to hospitalise them is clearly utterly disproportionate and simply shows how the police cannot cope with serious protest.

This year once again people waiting an at a collection point after being arrested had to fully undress (even though there is a court ruling which has declared this practice illegal) and in some cases their right to a telephone call was denied.
This year there were also once again no interpreters for non-German-speakers.

This police behaviour is unacceptable! We are therefore asking everyone to complain about this behaviour, by telephone, by fax, by e-mail or by letter.

Contact details
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Polizeipräsidium Aachen [Aachen Police Department] / Polizeipräsident [Police President Mr.] Weinsbach
Hubert-Wienen-Straße 25
52070 Aachen
Germany
E-Mail: poststelle.aachen@polizei.nrw.de
Fax: 0241 – 957 720 555
Tel.: 0241 9577-0
Tel Public Relations Operation Section: 0241 – 9577 21 001
Tel for local residents: 0241 – 9577 21003
Contact number: 0241 – 9577 86300
Press number: 0241 – 9577 21200
Tel Custody: 0241 – 9577 13501

Suggestions

Here are some suggestions in case you don’t really know how to go about this. Of course you can decide you want to do it anonymously or in your own name.

1) Write an official letter to the police to complain about a breach of duty (“Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde”)

This is something you can write and send in, e.g. by fax, letter or e-mail. It can look something like this:

To/An Dirk Weinsbach, Polizeipräsident
– sent by e-mail to: poststelle.aachen@polizei.nrw.de –

Betreff: Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde

Meine Beschwerde richtet sich gegen die im Rahmen von “Ende Gelände” eingesetzten Einsatzleiter*innen der Reiterstaffel und die
Gesamteinsatzleitung. Bei dem Einsatz wurde mit Pferden in eine Menschenansammlung hinein geritten, die sich friedlich verhielt. Dabei wurde eine Demonstrantin verletzt. Mit Pfefferspray wurden sitzende Menschen durch die Polizei angegriffen. Ein Demonstrat wurde zur Seite genommen und von drei Polizist*innen verprügelt und so in den Magen geschlagen, das der Demonstrant Blut erbrochen hat und ins Krankenhaus musste.

Ich frage mich wie es zu solchen Szenen in einem angeblichen Rechtsstaat wie der BRD kommen kann.
[oder andere Ausführungen, sie dürfen ruhig auch länger sein]

Ich bitte um eine Stellungnahme der Einsatzleiter*innen und möchte über den Fortgang der Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde informiert werden.

Datum, Unterschrift/Name, Kontaktadresse

This is theTranslation:

Subject: Dienstaufsichtsbeschwerde

My complaint is directed at the leaders of the mounted police used at “Ende Gelände” and overall operation leaders. During the operation, horses were ridden into a crowd which was behaving peacefully. One demonstrator was injured as a consequence. People sitting down were attacked by the police with pepper spray. A demonstrator was taken to one side and beat by police offers and hit in the stomach so hard that he vomited blood and had to be taken into hospital.

I am amazed that such scenes can take place in a supposed democracy governed by the rule of law such as Germany
[or other exclamations, you can certainly make them longer].

I request a statement from the leaders of the operations and would like to be informed about the process of the complaint.

Date, signature/name, contact address

2) Fax

If you have access to a fax machine or online fax, you can also write something by fax, e.g. „don’t ride police horses into crowds”. Often lots of pages with lots of black and white are good for the police’s ink cartridges and help get them to understand that they should think again about the use of horses in crowds.

3) Anrufe

If you call, think in advance about what you want to say and what it would be better to keep quiet about. Don’t say anything about being at Ende Gelände and about what you did on the day so that the police can’t use the telephone call to bring accusations against you.

You could ask for example who ran the operation, why police horses were used, why the police used chemical weapons (pepper spray) against peaceful demonstrators and whether that shows respect for the right to demonstrate and resist. Other questions could be whether investigation proceedings are already in place regarding the mounted police officers.

Do complain about the disproportionality and ask what is being done to prevent this happening again. Real concern is very helpful.

4) Aachen

If you live near Aachen, you could visit them and run a small demonstration, vigil or another action at the police headquarters – that’s where you can find the decision makers responsible.

These are all just suggestions. Get yourselves organised, get creative! Repression, injuries and penal procedures may only affect a few people, but they are meant to hurt all of us.