http://dx.doi.org/10.59704/9fac16047c53cc7f https://verfassungsblog.de/the-questionable-concept-of-protective-weapons/ The Questionable Concept of Protective Weapons - How Strasbourg Pushes Back Against Protest Restrictions in Germany Bücker, Johanna eng 2025-06-03 electronic resource text/html ddc:342 freedom of assembly Freedom of Expression Verfassungsblog Verfassungsblog--2366-7044 CC BY-SA 4.0 On 20 May 2025, the European Court of Human Rights handed down a landmark ruling in Russ v. Germany, finding that penalising a protester for wearing a makeshift visor breached his freedom of assembly. With its clear rejection of the German courts’ blanket approach, Strasbourg echoes long-standing constitutional concerns in German legal scholarship over the criminalisation of defensive gear at protests. Beyond Germany, the judgment affirms the Court’s role in shielding democratic participation across Europe.