Podcast-Link here
The Open Lecture Series “Between Aspiration and Reality: The Police and the Judiciary in the Context of Right-wing Terrorism, Racism, Anti-Semitism and Right-wing Violence” provides an online format for people directly affected, practitioners, and representatives from the world of academia to share their insights and experiences with police and the justice system in the context of racism, right-wing terrorism, anti-Semitism and right-wing violence: in daily life, in the courtrooms, on the streets and in the practical work of the VBRG’s counseling projects.
On March 30th, 2021 from 12 – 1:30 pm the first session of the Open Lecture Series will take place.
“Unlawful Use of Force and Racist Police Violence: How Widespread Is This Phenomenon and Which Complaints Mechanisms are Available?” will be the topic of the first Open Lecture. We aim to provide an overview of the current state of play concerning independent complaints mechanisms and legislation in the German federal states and to discuss experiences from practice and research in Germany and the UK: with Biplab Basu (ReachOut/KOP Berlin), Prof. Tobias Singelnstein (Ruhr University Bochum), Eric Töpfer (German Institute for Human Rights) and Rebekah Delsol (Open Society Justice Initiative/StopWatch, London). The lecture will be moderated by Katharina Warda.
We want to discuss questions which have been raised by the Black Lives Matter Movement and many people who seek support and advice by the counseling projects: What is the extent of unlawful use of force and racist police violence? Where do those affected by unlawful use of force and racist police violence find support and counseling? Do the perpetrators face legal consequences? What kind of complaints mechanisms are in place already or are being discussed in state parliaments and on a national level? It is important to discuss these questions with experiences of independent complaint mechanisms internationally. Often, the discourse in Germany refers to UK or Denmark, but the experiences of anti-racism campaigns and experts are rarely heard in the German debate.
Simultaneous interpretation for the event will be provided in English and German. The registration is closed.
We reserve the right to deny access to or exclude from the digital event persons who belong to right-wing extremist parties or organizations, are associated with the right-wing extremist scene, or have already come to light in the past with racist, nationalist, anti-Semitic, or other inhumane statements or have disseminated such statements.