epaselect GERMANY SWIMMING BAN PROTEST

'Swim-along' demonstration against century-old Spree bathing ban in Berlin

epaselect epa12978924 A person paddles across the River Spree during a demonstration against the bathing ban in the Spree river, in Berlin, Germany, 20 May 2026. The Flussbad Berlin association has organized a 'swim-along' demonstration under the slogan, 'Vote out 101 years of the swimming ban!', to protest the century-old prohibition of swimming in the Spree river. The inner-city ban has remained in effect since 1925, when it was originally enacted to protect citizens from rising river pollution. EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKE