Check freedom of assembly for foreigners?
Following the highly controversial rally in Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia's anti-Semitism commissioner Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger is calling for a stricter interpretation of the right to freedom of assembly for foreigners. When an assembly is registered, it must be checked "what the nationality is, because it is one of the few basic rights that only Germans are entitled to", the FDP politician told the WDR magazine "Westpol" (Sunday). This is a way of "issuing a ban in advance, which is otherwise difficult with our assembly laws".
The former Federal Minister of Justice was referring to Article Eight of the Basic Law. It states: "All Germans have the right to assemble peacefully and without weapons without registration or permission."
According to "Westpol", NRW Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach (Greens) is opposing the proposal. He referred to the current assembly law in NRW, which gives "every person the right to peaceful assembly, regardless of their nationality". According to WDR, Limbach said that this was a fundamental decision that should be upheld. In his view, general assembly bans for non-EU foreigners are the wrong reaction - and are also "legally inadmissible" and practically "not feasible". The decisive factor is "the peacefulness of the gatherings, not the nationality of their participants".
Around 3,000 people took part in the demonstration in Essen at the beginning of November, which had been registered as a pro-Palestine rally. Criminal proceedings are underway against the rally leader for incitement to hatred. According to the police, in addition to pro-Palestine flags, symbols and flags were also displayed that were very similar to the banned symbols of the Islamic State and the Taliban, but differed slightly. Women and men marched separately. According to the police, the demonstration was peaceful. Interior politicians at federal and state level had called for the state to be able to take stronger action at such demonstrations.
Despite the controversy surrounding the pro-Palestine rally in Essen, there have been calls for a stricter interpretation of assembly rights for foreigners. This proposal, made by Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger, could potentially lead to conflicts, as it contradicts the current assembly law in North Rhine-Westphalia that grants this right to all individuals, regardless of nationality.
Source: www.dpa.com
