Police Intervention Against Christian Praying and Holding Bible at Brandenburg Gate

A video recorded at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate raises concerns about interference with the right to freely manifest one’s religion, after police officers told a Christian he could not pray at the site because it was “not a place for praying” and “not a church.” Although the man was quietly reading from his Bible and praying without amplification or engaging passers-by, officers treated his conduct as a demonstration because he was publicly holding a Bible.

According to the video, originally published on Instagram on May 5, a Christian who identifies himself as “Giorgi” and other Christians were quietly praying and reading from the Bible at the Brandenburg Gate without using amplification, approaching passers-by, or otherwise interacting with the public, when they were approached by police officers. The officers repeatedly told Giorgi that he could not pray there because it was “not a place for praying” and “not a church” or other religious building, and questioned why the group had chosen such a prominent public location, suggesting they were there to draw attention.

Police further treated the activity as a demonstration because Giorgi was publicly holding a Bible. When Giorgi explained that he was “reading the Bible while praying” and asked, “Is there freedom of religion?”, the officer nevertheless insisted he was “demonstrating” because he was carrying what the officer called “the religious sign.” Giorgi rejected the characterization, replying: “I’m not holding a sign. I’m holding the word of God [Bible], sir.”

The video caption further stated that police “were trying to arrest” the Christians, though no details were provided substantiating an arrest attempt. Neither the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz) nor the European Convention confines religious practice to places of worship; both protect the peaceful public manifestation of religion, including prayer and the visible display of religious symbols, provided that any restrictions meet the strict requirements established under human rights law. The incident raises concerns about religious illiteracy among police officers, potentially resulting in undue restrictions on the peaceful manifestation of religion in public spaces.

Source: Instagram · Case documentation: OIDAC Europe Case #11648