re:publica 2014 opens!

Months of planning are over: re:publica is underway! Following the grand INTO THE WILD opening show, Andreas Gebhard, Johnny Haeusler, Tanja Haeusler and Markus Beckedahl opened the 8th re:publica.

Together with Elmar Giglinger, CEO of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, they also kicked-off the MEDIA CONVENTION Berlin. 

During the opening address, Markus Beckedahl also called for a rigorous defense of the internet "Criminally acting secret and intelligence services have hijacked our Internet and it's impacting our fundamental rights. We call on the German federal government to enforce our constitutional rights. It's our Internet, let's reclaim it together!" 

The re:publica founding members, as well as Elmar Giglinger and the head of Berlin's Senate Chancellory Björn Böhning also expressed their solidarity with imprisoned bloggers in Syria, Vietnam, China and Egypt: "In many countries, people just like us serious face repressions."

For all of you who couldn't join us this morning and missed the live stream - and, of course, for anyone just wanting to re-watch the show - check out the re:publica 2014 opening ceremony on video! 

[video:http://youtu.be/hfjNOk97qn8]