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Should the NPD Keep the Right to Protest?

While Germany plans to counteract NPD protests by curbing the right of assembly, DW-WORLD readers take a critical stance on the issue, many of them stressing the importance of civil rights in a democracy.

NPD marches at World War II memorial ceremoniesImage: AP

The following comments reflect the views of our readers. If you would like to have your say, click on the feedback button below. Not all reader comments will be published. DW-WORLD reserves the right to edit for length and appropriateness of content.

Democracy exists to serve the people. If one can simply ban ideas that are "too extreme", then the whole point of democracy is ignored. The voice of the people must be heard. A government must reflect the wishes of its people to be truly democratic. Whether it be hardline communists, reasonable moderates, or fascists. -- Tommy Heinrici

I think that the German government should put these far right people in their place as it is only right. Ask the Jews what they should do, whatever happened to Dresden is only a small part of what the German Nazi party did not only to the Jews and other nationalities but also to their own people. Have the far right a selective memory. God forbid we should let these lunatics loose again as I was one of the children they bombed in Britain and it was not funny. My family lost 17 people in the blitz and I bear no resentment but I do not want to see a repetition. -- David Jones

I am a British Jew and bear no ill will against young Germans and modern democratic Germany. I have been to Germany twice and enjoy meeting German people and have even learned to speak some German. Neo-Nazism is not just a German problem, but Germany must tackle it at it roots. Modern Germany, and young Germans especially, need not feel guilty about the Nazi period. Instead, Germany must continue to show the world that it has learned from the past and will not tolerate nazis, racism, anti-semitism. -- Mike

It may come as no surprise that an American would say that the government should never take action against any party that engages in peaceful assembly regardless of the topic, issue, or view on a subject for which they represent or malign or bend to serve their own opinion. I may not personally like to see and hear a lot of the things that go on around me, but the minute that someone is denied the right to express his/her own opinion in a proper forum no matter how wrong it might be is when we will all be having our papers checked by a "Brown Shirt" standing on every street corner. -- Dustin Null

I think action should be taken against these neo-Nazis. Even today Germany is reminded of it's terrible past of the Nazis. To allow these neo-Nazis to hinder the positive changes Germany has made is a real shame. The world has not forgotten World War II, and this group reminds people that maybe things have not changed within Germany as much as we have hoped, even 60 years later. -- L. Schopp

In a responsible democracy, the German government should let people demonstrate. In the USA we have people demonstrating at all times for every cause in the world. Some are disgusting, including the burning of our precious flag, and they are protected under our constitution. -- B. Britter