To be well prepared for the action, it is important to be well informed about your rights, the risks of repression and the countermeasures.
The Rote Hilfe München ('Red Help' Munich) published an informative overview .
There you can find an Action Checklist and a Zettel zum Polizei- und Ordnungsrecht in BayernAlso the helpful Infoflyer Was tun wenns brenntalso in a version for minors..
Legal Aid Workshops
In order for you to start in action prepared, urgently attend a legal aid workshop!!!! Know your rights.
31.08 19:00 Uhr Munich, Cafe Marat Legal Aid Lecture by Red Aid
7.09.2023 15h Uhr auf dem Mobilitätswendecamp München.
Identity number
In order for the investigating committee (in German, Ermittlungsausschuss which is the local legal aid structure from and for activists) to find out that you have been taken into custody and to support you, the people must be distinguishable. If you are on the road from the beginning with your name, which is written in your ID card, you can of course use it. In all other cases, even if your affinity group does not know your name, you should have an individual identity number and remember it, or write it on your arm, for example.
You can get such an identity number (sometimes also called EA number) at the camp, or here in the identity number generator.
When you click on the link, a new window opens with a unique number. You can make a note of it and close the window. Every time you open the link, a new, unique number appears, so don't let this irritate you, but please don't open the link too often, so that the numbers don't become too long.
Reflections on identity refusal
Our actions will take place at different levels of action with different risks of repression. For the action days in September, we do not want to recommend ID refusal for activists and call for solidarity with all activists, whether they want to reveal their identity or not.
The mass refusal to provide ID can be strategically useful to throw sand in the gears of the repression machinery and thus overload it. In past actions, the release of many people could be obtained in this way.
At the same time, you should be aware of the risks and discuss in advance in the reference group how far you want to go with the refusal. We strongly recommend attending the action plenary, reading the legal aid texts and, if possible, participating in legal workshops.
Background Information
Detention to establish identity may only be for a very short period of time. After that, the person must either be released or remanded in custody. Pre-trial detention can only be ordered if a criminal offence is suspected. In Bavaria, pre-trial detention has been ordered in the past even for minor offences such as insult. The detention pending trial can be averted at short notice before the detention order is issued by providing the ID. This usually requires the surrender of the identity card/passport. This should be organised beforehand; existing structures support this to the best of their ability. In this case, experience shows that refusal to provide ID is treated as an administrative offence and a fine is imposed.
You can find further legal background and information here at Rote Hile and in the legal workshop at the camp
In our estimation, the city of Munich has the personnel and spatial capacity to take several hundred people into custody in September. However, ID refusal has not yet taken place on a large scale in Munich. In this respect, our assessment is merely based on conjecture. For the actions around the IAA, it would therefore also be conceivable to refuse ID en masse until the last possible moment (i.e. shortly before the detention is ordered), in order to ensure a maximum burden on the repressive organs. The risk here is that the police would then only take those ID refusers into custody who are likely to be ordered into custody on suspicion of a criminal offence, and release the rest of the people without ID promptly.
In preparation for a possible detention with your reference people, it is helpful to answer the questions in this Haftzettel (German) and deposit it with your affinty people.
It is important to us that activists are aware of the risks and feel comfortable at the same time. There are many good reasons to refuse to give your ID. Not least to protect one's own identity from state access and to collectively boycott and sabotage the work of the repressive organs as much as possible - because Climate protection is not a crime!