The German city state of Berlin has passed a law that will ban the wearing of religious symbols by civil servants, including teachers and policemen. The so-called "neutrality law" means that from 2005, the Muslim headscarf or the Jewish "kippa" may not be worn any more by public officials while exercising their profession. Unlike in France, the ban does not affect pupils. Nevertheless, it goes beyond the measures passed by other German regional authorities who limit the ban to school teachers. The Berlin parliament's decision was protested by the opposition party CDU as well as Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders.