Court Decision - Court decides in favor of AfD in argument regarding party conference center in Essen.
A recent court victory has given the AfD Party a boost for their planned Federal party conference at the end of June in Essen. The Administrative Court of Gelsenkirchen has ruled that the city must allow the AfD to use the municipal Grugahalle, which had been previously rented out to the party, but was later terminated by the city. The court's decision is not yet final and can be appealed to the Higher Administrative Court in Münster (case number: 15 L 888/24 and 15 L 881/24).
The future of the Federal party conference remains uncertain, as the Regional Court of Essen is also currently dealing with a civil lawsuit on the matter. A decision in this case is expected on Monday during an oral hearing.
The AfD welcomed the Administrative Court's decision, stating in a press release that the ruling was "understandable and correct." The court's ruling was based on the principle of equal treatment, as the AfD should not be treated differently than other political parties. Previously, several political parties have held conferences in the Grugahalle.
The city terminated the contract because of the "radicalization" of the AfD and the incendiary statements made by Thuringian fraction leader Björn Höcke, which were deemed punishable for using the SA slogan "All for Germany." The city claimed that there were "concrete indications" of potential speech offenses during the conference. The city council attempted to require the AfD to commit to avoiding such statements, but the party refused.
The court found that the AfD could only be denied the use of the Grugahalle if there was a strong likelihood of criminal offenses. However, the court's assessment required a stricter standard for political parties. The court couldn't find enough evidence to suggest that criminal violations were likely to occur at the conference.
The Essen AfD city council fraction also lodged a complaint, which included objections regarding the decision-making process in the city parliament. However, these concerns were dismissed by the court.
The city's justification for terminating the contract, citing the "advancing radicalization" of the AfD and the threatened use of the SA slogan, has been met with controversy. Critics argue that these actions are an attempt to suppress the voice and presence of the AfD in the city.
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- The AfD's Federal party conference is scheduled to take place in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, at the end of June, following a favorable court decision regarding the use of the Grugahalle.
- The Higher Administrative Court in Münster will review the Administrative Court of Gelsenkirchen's decision, which granted the AfD the right to use the Grugahalle for their party conference, under case numbers 15 L 888/24 and 15 L 881/24.
- Different political parties, including the AfD, have previously held conferences at the Grugahalle, prompting a legal dispute between the AfD and the city of Essen, concerning the termination of the conference center's rental agreement.
- A legal battle over the use of the Grugahalle as the venue for the AfD's Federal party conference has led to two separate court proceedings, both relating to the party's rights and the city's justifications for their actions.
- The cancellation of the AfD's party conference at the Grugahalle was due to the party's "radicalization" and the incendiary statements made by the Thuringian fraction leader Björn Höcke, which were deemed punishable for using the SA slogan.
