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 Yesterday, the first worldwide protests against surveillance measures
such as the collection of all telecommunications data, the surveillance
of air travellers and the biometric registration of citizens were held
under the motto "Freedom not Fear - Stop the surveillance mania!". In
at least 15 countries[1]
citizens demanded a cutback on surveillance, a moratorium on new
surveillance powers and an independent evaluation of existing
surveillance powers. "A free and open society cannot exist without
unconditionally private spaces and communications", explains an
international memorandum.[2]
In Berlin the greatest protest march against surveillance in Germany's
history took place: Participants in the 2 km long, peaceful protest
march carried signs reading "You are Germany, you are a suspect", "No
Stasi 2.0 - Constitution applicable here", "Fear of Freedom?" and
"Glass citizens, brittle democracy". Apart from related music tracks,
loud chants of "Belittle it today, be under surveillance tomorrow" or
"We are here and we are loud because they are stealing our data" could
be heard. During the protests, which were supported by more than 100 civil
liberties groups, professional associations, unions, political parties
and other organisations,[3] artists played parodies on surveillance society.  In their final speeches in front of the Brandenburg Gate, the
organisers called for political consequences: padeluun of civil
liberties group FoeBuD said that in view of the mass protests
politicians needed to react now and repeal the blanket retention of all
telecommunications data introduced in 2006. Patrick Breyer of
Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung presented a five point plan
according to which surveillance should be reduced, existing laws should
be evaluated and plans for new surveillance measures should be halted.
In the course of a "new, freedom-loving security policy" specific
preventive measures such as youth projects should be invested in and
the "real problems" of people such as poverty and education should be
focused on. Ricardo Cristof Remmert-Fontes of Arbeitskreis
Vorratsdatenspeicherung announced further action and invited
participants to join parties held in seven participating clubs in
Berlin under the motto "The long night of surveillance".
 In other countries, the following events took place in the course of
yesterday's "Freedom not Fear day": Protest event with music and
several art performances in Den Haag, lectures in Rome, surveillance
camera mapping in Madrid, art performances in front of Parliament in
Vienna, protest rallies in Paris, Prague, Sofia and Stockholm, the
distribution of privacy software in Kopenhagen, informative events in
Guatemala City and Buenos Aires as well as a light projection onto
Toronto's Town Hall. In London, the construction of a surveillance
state was protested by creating a massive collage of photos on
Parliament Square showing the prime minister and the action day's motto
"Freedom not Fear".[4]
Before the action day, Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung had
warned of a "surveillance avalanche in Germany": According to the
group, the German parliament has tightened surveillance and control
over citizens at least 21 times in the past 10 years. At least 18 more
surveillance proposals are presently on the political agenda, for
example the blanket collection of air traveller's data and the transfer
of personal data to the US.
About Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung:
Arbeitskreis Vorratsdatenspeicherung ("German Working Group on
Data Retention") is a German association of civil rights and privacy
activists as well as regular Internet users that runs a campaign
against the complete logging of all telecommunications. Home page: http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de
References:
- http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/content/view/242/144/lang,en/
- http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/content/view/242/144/lang,en/
- http://www.vorratsdatenspeicherung.de/content/view/242/144/lang,de
- http://www.openrightsgroup.org/2008/10/11/freedom-not-fear-the-big-picture-unveiled-on-parliament-square/
See also: 
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