Feb 13, 2024
Standing united for democracy and human rights: More than 13,000 people joined to form the human chain.
Precisely at 6:00 pm today, February 13, 2024, the time had come again: More than 13,000 people joined hands and formed a chain around Dresden's city center. This was already the 14th time the commemoration took place. In the spirit of this year's motto "united in vigilance", Dresden residents and guests of the city remembered the victims of the bombing raid on February 13 and 14, 1945, as well as the millions who died under National Socialist tyranny and the suffering caused by today's wars.
As the organizer and leader of the human chain, the Rector of TUD Dresden University of Technology, Professor Ursula Staudinger, emphasized: "This human chain is a strong signal of the joint vigilance of Dresden residents and the courage that is needed every day to stand up for human rights and the dignity of every human being and for our liberal democratic basic order."
In his speech, Lord Mayor Dirk Hilbert called for vigilance, emphasizing that democracy as a pure form of government is no impenetrable bulwark against dictatorships or unjust regimes. "National Socialism was allowed to become the strongest political force in free and democratic elections by a large proportion of the population. Everything that followed had its origins in a democratic vote," says Hilbert. That is why the human chain is so important. Hilbert: "We are standing here because there are more and more political extremists in our country who are questioning our democratic constitution. But we are also here because hundreds of thousands of people all over our country have taken to the streets in recent weeks to stand up for our democracy. I am absolutely convinced that we can and should see the human chain as part of this movement."
Among others, Saxon Minister President Michael Kretschmer, Minister of Finance Hartmut Vorjohann, the Ambassador of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Jill Gallard, the British Honorary Consul Daniel Senf and a delegation from Dresden's twin city Coventry joined the human chain.
https://13februar.dresden.de/en/
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