Press release from July 27, 2021

The city of Munich must also give space to protesters, not just the car industry Climate activists from Munich are planning a climate protest camp during the International Motor Show (IAA) in Munich. The Munich Mobility Transition Camp is expected to accommodate around 1,500 participants in the IAA protests from September 7 to 13. From the camp organizers’ point of view, suitable locations are the Theresienwiese or the Hermann-von-Siemens-Sportpark. Discussions are ongoing with the city’s district administration department, but there is no confirmation yet.

“Many climate activist groups have announced that they will protest against the IAA in Munich, which in their eyes only serves to greenwash the auto industry. As a mobility transition camp, we want to offer them accommodation, food and a broad educational program. The camp is intended to be a key meeting point for the climate justice movement, which is committed to a real mobility transition instead of being satisfied with a ‘drive transition’,” said Michael Jäger from the camp alliance. “We call on the city of Munich to give the protesters adequate space, after it has made all public areas in the city center from Odeonsplatz to Marienplatz available to the IAA. The camp is intended to enable all people to exercise their basic rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly.”

From the organizers’ point of view, doing without infrastructure such as sleeping places and a kitchen is not an option, because in one of the three most expensive cities in Europe, the protesters can hardly afford a hotel or full board. In addition, the camp will create a place that is in itself an expression of the protest against the IAA and the car-centric transport system and thus also a symbol of a social alternative. Since the camp is based on the pillars of constitutionally protected basic rights, the city must make it possible to provide the infrastructure required for participation in rallies. This has been confirmed by many court rulings at the climate camps in the Rhineland or at protest camps in other major German cities.

The district administration department of the city of Munich, on the other hand, has recently acted more as an obstacle than a partner to civil society initiatives. For example, the time available for an information container on the topic of mobility that the Nature Conservation Association wanted to set up at Stachus was so severely limited that it had to be canceled. “We call on the city and the district administration department to cooperate and constructively enable a central protest and education camp. Otherwise, we are considering having our understanding of democracy and the right of assembly confirmed through legal action. We will fight for our space in the city!” In order to keep the risk of corona infection low, the activists are preparing a sophisticated hygiene concept based on the model of other camps that have had good experiences with it. The following organizations and alliances support the demand for a central camp area in Munich:

• #noIAA
• KonTra IAA - Congress for Transformative Mobility
• Sand in the Gears
• Smash IAA
• No Future for IAA
• VolxKüche Munich
• Soliküche Augsburg
• Fridays for Future Munich
• Youth organization BUND Naturschutz Press contact: mobilitaetswende_camp_muenchen@riseup.net