Thousands gathered on Hamburg's Rathausplatz on Thursday evening for a demonstration against sexualised violence. Collien Fernandes made a surprise appearance on stage despite having cancelled earlier for safety reasons. She addressed the crowd wearing a bulletproof vest and under police protection.
The alliance 'Es reicht!' called for a demonstration against sexualised violence on Hamburg's Rathausplatz. Thousands heeded the call, with a fighting atmosphere that was sometimes rough. At 18:23, Collien Fernandes took the stage after having cancelled her participation earlier for safety reasons, according to Der Spiegel. She wore a bulletproof vest and was under police protection and security due to death threats from men, as she reported. 'I wanted to come out here and be strong, but I can't right now. I think it's often underestimated what this does to you,' Fernandes said. She urged: 'Let's tear down the wall of silence together.' The demo was triggered by a Der Spiegel investigation in which Fernandes levelled serious allegations against her ex-husband, actor Christian Ulmen. Der Spiegel sent Ulmen an extensive list of questions, to which he did not respond. His lawyers referred unspecifically to 'untrue facts'. Ulmen is presumed innocent. Attendees expressed intense anger: One woman rated it 'solid 12 out of 10'. Another, a victim herself, drew courage from the gathering. A man highlighted men's duty to act beyond mere solidarity.
