The court examines the legality of AfD's rally in the market square of Mannheim.
The mayor of Mannheim, Christian Specht (CDU), prohibited gatherings, information booths, and assemblies in the city's marketplace until the 16th of June. He also ordered the relocation of the AfD assembly.
But wait, the AfD state association was quick to file an emergency petition at the Administrative Court. The court deemed both orders potentially illegal, leaning towards the AfD's interests.
The general order, according to the court, infringes on the constitutionally guaranteed right to assemble, which encompasses selecting the assembly venue. Mannheim's marketplace is accessible to all as a free communication area.
The city didn't quite succeed in proving an imminent threat to public safety or order. It's not about judging the political content of the intended assembly but whether fundamental social or ethical values would be severely breached, the court clarified. A calm commemoration cannot replace a polarizing, loud assembly, they added.
The ban on the assembly on the marketplace is likely unlawful too. No evidence of a danger justifying it under assembly law is provided. There's also no indication the police would struggle to implement a safety plan.
The ruling isn't final yet. Mannheim can appeal to the Administrative Court of Appeal in Mannheim.
Do you remember last Friday, when a 25-year-old man from Afghanistan assaulted members of the anti-Islamic group Pax Europa at the Mannheim marketplace with a knife? A police officer was grievously hurt during the incident and unfortunately, he passed away on Sunday.
The tragic event ignited debate about the repercussions. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended a memorial event at the Mannheim marketplace on Friday, observing a minute of silence for the fallen officer. He also laid flowers there before meeting with the response forces.
Steinmeier condemned the deadly knife attack as a "terrorist" act on Thursday in a government statement, suggesting serious criminals be sent back to Afghanistan and Syria.
