Drivers protest against the visit of Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi in Munich.

Taxi owners and drivers in Munich, Germany, protested against the visit of Uber's CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. The taxi operator union Taxiverband München, radio dispatchers, taxi companies and individuals signed an open letter, that criticised Uber for embodying an “institutionalised infringement of the law” and for representing “the dark side of digitalisation”. 

Khosrowshahi will attend the Digital-Life-Design-Conference (DLD) this weekend which is held in Munich. The signatories of the letter are asking the organisers of the conference to uninvite him. Uninviting him would be “a statement against sexism, misanthropy and institutionalized breach of law.” according the letter.  

A representative of the DLD, Steffi Czerny, responded by saying she would not uninvite Khosrowshahi but rather wants to “promote a controversial discussion and involve the main drivers of the change in a dialogue.”  

She had invited the Uber-CEO because she thought it to be important to understand his plans and aims. However, no representant of the taxi and for hire industry has been invited to the conference.  According to Taxi-Times.com drivers have shown no appreciation to Czerny’s response. Taxi drivers and owners are now preparing for a protest during the conference set for this weekend.