Left Party MP Cansin Köktürk was thrown out of a German parliament plenary chamber on Wednesday for wearing a t-shirt with the word “Palestine” printed on it, a move deemed a political statement by the parliamentary leadership.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner intervened during the session, reminding MPs that political messages on clothing are not permitted in the chamber.
While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress “in keeping with the prestige” of the institution. Enforcement of this standard is left to the discretion of the session chair.
God forbid politicians make political statements.
Not with their clothes, though. The political debate in the Bundestag is conducted through words and to be fair, that seems like a reasonable idea.
AfD members of parliament are routinely wearing German flag pins, which carries a pretty obvious message coming from a far right party.
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In Germany (because of ours history) only fascists (and clueless normies during sport events) think the German flag is something you’d consider associating yourself with. If you’re only a tiny bit left leaning it’s yucky af even thinking about e. g. wearing a t-shirt with a German flag. Ew.
This was the case until 2006, though. Today, is really not like that anymore.
If she wore a Ukraine shirt (which would be based) or even an Israel shirt (which would not be based), it would have been handled differently. Hell apparently there is a history of members wearing soccer team shirts with no problems.
“The problem isn’t the protests, it’s what they’re protesting.” Macklemore
Why would you make that assumption? Its completely baseless and most likely untrue.
My assumption is based on two years of German authorities and institutions cracking down on pro-Palestinian voices. Somehow, each time there is some specific rule or sub-rule that is being invoked, but somehow it always ends up being a silencing of pro-Palestinian protest, activism, speech.
Why I would assume the worst of German institutions when it comes to pro-Palestinian stances? Here is the fuck why:
- https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/germany
- https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/germany-palestine-protest/
- https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/crackdown-on-pro-palestinian-voices-in-germany-a-disturbing-pattern
- https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4362806-germanys-unprecedented-crackdown-on-pro-palestinian-speech/
- https://globalvoices.org/2024/04/18/inside-germanys-orwellian-crackdown-on-palestine-congress/
- https://zeteo.com/p/germany-crackdown-pro-palestine-speech-sign-holocaust-gaza
- https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/11/8/why-is-germany-supporting-israels-genocide-in-gaza
- https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/germany-palestine-activists-deportation-state-repression
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/18/hannah-arendt-prize-masha-gessen-israel-gaza-essay
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/03/germany-deporting-pro-palestine-eu-citizens-chilling-new-step
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/25/free-speech-is-a-facade-how-gaza-war-has-deepened-divisions-in-german-arts-world
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/11/denouncing-critics-of-israel-as-un-jews-or-antisemites-is-a-perversion-of-history
- https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-nicaragua-germany-genocide-court-91a605921b44110ae5534e6438405997
- https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/03/11/bpig-m11.html
I have simply lost faith in German institutions on this matter.
To return to you the question: why would I NOT assume that German institutions would find some way to ratfuck with pro-Palestinian voices? On what exactly can I build a set of good faith assumptions on German benevolence on the matter? Because I see fucking nothing.
