A scene from the beach party in Berlin. Photo by Armin Langer. All rights reserved.There is much more than meets the eye in the apparently basic claim that we should all be free to wear what we want.
The weather was almost Mediterranean on the last Thursday of August in Berlin, so lounging in a sundress in front of Brandenburger Tor – and the French embassy – didn't feel all too weird. As in London and Vienna, the 'burkini' ban ordered by 30 mayors of French coastal towns also inspired Germany-based activists to organise protests.
In Berlin, the 'Beach Party Against Racism' was the result of a call launched on Facebook by the Salaam-Schalom initiative after it was reported that policemen had forced a woman wearing long sleeves and a headscarf to take off her shirt. The accompanying picture instantly went viral on social media.
