00:00It's a protest, but without placards, megaphones or angry chants.
00:04Instead, Berliners are making their political point in swimsuits.
00:09The mission? To peddle away a century-old ban on swimming in central Berlin.
00:14We ask politicians to lift our ban. It's about time.
00:17All the other cities are doing it. Even cities like Paris proved that it's possible.
00:22Cities in the Ruhr area, former industrial area in the west of Germany proved it.
00:28New York has plans, London has plans. Many other cities are already doing it and Berlin is really lagging behind.
00:35For 100 years, authorities have said the Spree is too dirty for a dip.
00:40But campaigners from the group Flussbad Berlin say that's outdated.
00:44Thanks to cleaner industry and improved water treatment, they claim the river is often as safe as other city waterways.
00:52The reason has been the water hygiene for 100 years and it has been an issue actually.
00:59But now, in general, water quality is much better.
01:02And more important is we have now water monitoring technologies that we can actually foresee what's happening in the water.
01:10Beyond the fun, there's a serious point. Climate change is making Berlin hotter and inner city rivers could offer a vital way to cool down.
01:19So, instead of marching, protesters backstroked, breaststroked and freestyled their way through the historic heart of Berlin.
01:27Their slogan, 100 years of the swimming ban, time to crawl it away.
01:32So, will this city finally dive in and lift the ban? That's still up in the air, or perhaps we should say, still up the river.
Comments