A call for a large pro-Palestinian demonstration in Düsseldorf has sparked debate on social media. According to the organisers, ‘Germany’s largest demonstration’ is to take place in North Rhine-Westphalia on September 27. The gathering is intended to show solidarity with the people of Gaza, but also with those in Congo, Sudan and ‘all oppressed peoples of the world’.
On Instagram, the account ‘freedomaktivist’ has posted information about the possibility of travelling from Gesundbrunnen district of Berlin to Düsseldorf in specially hired coaches. Two details have attracted criticism.
In addition to details such as departure times and costs, there is also a note stating: ‘Women and men sit separately – for a relaxed and peaceful journey.’ There are also supposed to be WhatsApp groups separated by gender. The person to be contacted regarding the WhatsApp groups can no longer be found on Instagram under a linked account.
There is a lot of criticism in the comments below the post. “I understand the idea behind separate seating, as violence often comes from men, but I have two questions. Is it enough for people to self-identify their gender? This raises the question of how to deal with trans women and trans men. The second question I have is, how do you deal with non-binary people? Are they simply allowed to choose, or what concept do you have in mind?‘ asks one user. ’This is how some people imagine freedom: women and men must sit separately,” reads another comment.
A few hours after this article was published, these negative comments were no longer visible under the Instagram post. Only three comments from two users remain – two of them from a female user who writes: ‘Cool’ and ‘That’s a good idea’. One negative comment, albeit only an hour old, still appears under the post: ‘Are you all out of your minds? Women and men separated? What’s with this medieval crap? We also protest against patriarchy.’
Recently, gender-segregated events at universities have repeatedly sparked debate. During an ‘Islam Week’ at the University of Kiel, women and men were required to use separate entrances to the lecture hall. Men sat at the front and women at the back. In addition, videos were published by the Muslim university group at Charité Berlin showing the sexes apparently sitting separately in the lecture hall and seminar room: the men on one side, the women on the other. Charité subsequently banned events where men and women were to sit separately.
Reisebusse nach Geschlechtern getrennt: Fahrt von Berlin zu Pro-Palästina-Demo sorgt für Kritik
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