Court: Ban on pro-Palestine demonstrations unlawful
Two pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Münster that were banned by the police for this weekend may now take place after all. This was decided by the Münster Administrative Court on Friday following an urgent appeal, according to a spokesperson. The police order banning a vigil on Friday evening and a demonstration on Saturday was unlawful.
One of the reasons given by the police for the ban was that anti-Israel slogans with criminal relevance had been chanted at previous gatherings by the same organizer. It was to be feared that this would happen again at the planned demonstrations.
In the opinion of the administrative court, however, it is not sufficiently clear that the slogans in question are actually criminal statements in the sense of incitement to hatred. Therefore, there is no sufficient basis for a ban on the gatherings.
The unlawful ban on the pro-Palestinian demonstrations led to intense conflicts between the organizers and the police. The court's ruling allowed various demonstration processes to proceed, potentially leading to peaceful expression of views.
Source: www.dpa.com
