German as the language of assembly? NRW examines conditions
Following the controversial demonstration in Essen with calls for a caliphate on the streets, NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) is considering stricter requirements, for example regarding German as the language of assembly. General bans on demonstrations, on the other hand, would be difficult to enforce legally. "Banning is the weakest card we have," he said in the state parliament on Thursday. He also saw little scope for tightening up the law on assemblies.
Reul was criticized for this by SPD opposition MP Christina Kampmann. The demonstration should have been broken up, she said in the debate. The supposedly pro-Palestinian demonstration had turned out to be Islamist. Reul, on the other hand, emphasized that according to the current status and all previous evaluations, not a single banned poster or banner was carried in Essen.
Around 3000 people took part in the demonstration last Friday. Women and men were instructed by the stewards to walk separately and to line up separately at the rally. 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 so that they could not be traced. Criminal proceedings are underway against the rally leader for incitement to hatred.
In addition to language, future requirements could possibly also relate to the prohibition of certain proclamations, the size of flags and banners or the time of day of gatherings, said Reul. The experts in his office see good starting points for additional requirements for certain events to be legally enforceable. However, this would remain a case-by-case decision.
A ban on certain extremist organizations could also be helpful, said Reul. Then symbols of these organizations could no longer be displayed and registrations could be rejected if they come from members of these organizations.
After the demonstration in Essen, Reul wrote a letter to Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (SPD) requesting a ban on three Islamist groups. The organizations in question are "Generation Islam", "Realität Islam" and "Muslim Interaktiv".
The three groups are active on the internet and, according to the ministry, regularly take part in gatherings with several thousand participants. Reul writes of 130 supporters who could apparently mobilize a significantly larger potential number of people.
The images and videos of the demonstration are being meticulously analyzed by 13 investigators, Reul assured. This involves large amounts of data of almost 50 gigabytes. "We want to make full use of the law."
In response to the extremist demonstrations and calls for a caliphate, Parliament is discussing stricter conditions for assemblies, including making German the required language. Despite the controversial nature of the Essen demonstration, Reul found little justification for tightening assembly laws due to legal constraints.
Given the presence of banned symbols at the Essen rally and growing concern over extremist groups, Interior Minister Reul suggested a potential band on certain extremist organizations to prohibit their symbols and limit event registrations from their members.
Source: www.dpa.com
