Munich - After court victory for pro-Palestine slogan - demo canceled
After a court ruling on the slogan "From the river to the sea" ("From the river to the sea" in English) for a demonstration in Munich, the organizer cancelled the protest. The administrative office confirmed this on request from dpa. The reason for the cancellation was not mentioned by the authority, and there is currently no replacement date. The demonstration was scheduled for Monday morning.
The Bavarian Administrative Court had ruled last week that the frequently used slogan at pro-Palestinian demonstrations was unlawful in this specific case. The court granted the complaint of the organizer, who had also announced posters with this inscription for Monday.
The state capital issued several restrictions for the assembly – in particular, a ban on using this slogan because it could indicate the beginning of a criminal offense. The woman contested this, but failed at first instance in the administrative court, but now received a judgment in her favor from the Administrative Court of Appeals.
The court decided in an expedited procedure that the ban on this slogan in this specific case was likely to be unlawful. This is because whether its use constitutes a criminal offense depends on the circumstances of the individual case and in particular on whether there is a recognizable link to the terrorist organization Hamas or other prohibited associations. The city did not provide concrete evidence for such a link in its "risk assessment" (Az. 10 CS 24.1062).
The slogan "From the river to the sea ..." goes back to the 1960s and was already used back then by the Palestinian Liberation Organization PLO. It is intended to express the claim to the territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea – that is, the territory of Israel.
- Despite the court's decision in favor of the woman, the organized demonstration in the Palestinian territories' support, featuring the controversial slogan, remains cancelled in Munich.
- The Bavarian Administrative Court's ruling last week has brought success in court for a woman who opposed the ban on the "From the river to the sea" slogan at the demonstration.
- There have been numerous conflicts and debates surrounding the use of this slogan at pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with Israel citing potential links to terrorist organizations.
- Demonstrators gathered in Bavaria, protesting against the court's initial ruling that deemed the slogan unlawful, but their efforts did not yield any significant change in the decision.
- In the administrative court's recent decision, it was suggested that a clear connection to the terrorist organization Hamas or other prohibited associations must be proven to consider the use of the slogan a criminal offense.
- The court decision in Munich could have implications for future demonstrations in Bavaria and beyond, as advocates push for freedom of speech in the context of political expression.
