Several thousand people protested in Berlin against the European Union's (EU) policy of sealing off the borders, the right-wing government in Italy and the right-wing conservative course of the German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) on asylum issues.

Under the motto "For the rights of refugees and #FreeCarola!", the Alliance Seebrücke Berlin called for a demonstration. Among the speakers is also the publicist Carolin Emcke, and a greeting from Seawatch3 captain Carola Rackete will be recorded.

The participants demanded open borders for those seeking protection and a stop to deportations. They opposed the criminalization of sea rescue by the European Union, but also by the right-wing government in Italy and Germany.

The background is the recent drama about the Seawatch3, which was brought to the port of Lampedusa by its captain Carola Rackete after a waiting period of about two weeks against a decree of the right-wing radical Italian Minister of the Interior. A court lifted the house arrest against Rackete two days later.

At the same time, demonstrations are taking place all over Germany. The alliance Seebrücke speaks of a total of about 30,000 participants.