Essen's Messe terminates rental agreement for AfD's party conference amidst legal threats.
The Alt-Right political party, AfD, must promise to avoid making offensive statements or face a hefty penalty, as per the requirements set by the city of Essen. These statements could include possessing the questionable slogan "All for Germany".
If the AfD fails to provide these assurances, they might be subject to pay exorbitant fines of 500,000 euros for every violation. The party's contractual agreement to rent the event hall would then be nullified.
Björn Höcke, the Thuringian AfD's head, was convicted of using forbidden Nazi phrasing "All for Germany", leading to a $13,000 monetary fine. Thuringian AfD is regarded as a steadfast right-wing extremist group by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution.
The AfD's national party congress is scheduled for June 29th and 30th. The contract between Messe Essen and the party was formed in January 2023.
The city's representatives claimed that they made sure the termination conditions were followed. The details have been finalized, and the district administration showed no opposition, according to the spokesperson from the city.
The AfD leadership has clarified that they will challenge the cancelation. Tino Chrupalla, AfD's leader, expressed their eagerness to take legal action. "Of course, we'll sue. And full program" stated Chrupalla in news outlet, Bild.
Having already initiated the process, the party is optimistic that they will uphold their prearranged congress sessions in judicial proceedings.
In light of the potential termination, AfD had lodged a criminal report against Essen's mayor, Thomas Kufen (CDU), as well as the Messe GmbH's managing director, a week ago. Roman Reusch, a board member for the AfD, confirmed this on Tuesday evening.
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- Despite the legal threats, the AfD party planned to proceed with their national conference at the Essen Trade Fair in June.
- The cancellation of the AfD's rental agreement for their party conference at the Essen Trade Fair was due to potential offensive statements, following the example set by Björn Höcke's conviction.
- According to AFP news agency, the city of Essen terminated the rental agreement for the AfD's party conference due to legal concerns.
- The AfD party has announced that they will challenge the termination of their rental agreement in a lawsuit, as proposed by their leader, Tino Chrupalla.
- The termination of the rental agreement for the AfD's party conference at the Essen Trade Fair comes amidst protests and lawsuits in response to the party's controversial political stances.
- The AfD party conference, originally scheduled to take place at the Essen Trade Fair in June, may now relocate to another venue or take place online due to the ongoing legal dispute.
