Traffic: Berlin: Thousands at a bicycle demonstration against traffic policy

With a bicycle demonstration by thousands of people, several cycling and environmental groups protested against the transport policy of the new CDU/SPD Senate in Berlin. Under the motto “Cycle path stop? Not with us”, long groups of bicycles drove through the city.

The Fridays for Future initiative, the ADFC bicycle club and the Changing Cities transport group called for the demonstration.

The organizers spoke of at least 15,000 participants, the police estimated more than 8,000. The bike demonstration starts in Prenzlauer Berg and leads through Lichtenberg and Friedrichshain to the Red Town Hall in Mitte.

Neubauer: “Don’t support this policy”

Luisa Neubauer, activist from Fridays for Future, also spoke at the final rally. “We do not support this policy,” said Neubauer to the Senate. “It should be a logical decision to be able to ride a bike in cities and everywhere and to want to ride a bike because it’s the healthiest, most logical, simplest, cheapest and fairest means of transport we have, especially in cities like Berlin.”

Cycling is not a question of party politics or ideology. “It’s a question of freedom, mobility and a free life in healthy and just cities,” said Neubauer. If a traffic policy unilaterally favored cars, everyone would be patronised. Those who would have to continue to drive also benefited from more cycle paths, sufficient local public transport and fair transport policy. “Because they’re not stuck in traffic.”

The initiators said that instead of simply implementing the already planned cycle paths, the new Senate would fall into ideological anti-bicycle and pro-car rhetoric. The city needs safe roads for all road users. The senator’s approach to stopping bike projects met with incomprehension.