The court orders the City of Essen to provide Grugahalle for the AfD's party conference.

The court orders the City of Essen to provide Grugahalle for the AfD's party conference.

The upcoming AfD federal conference, set for the 29th and 30th of June, is facing a potential setback. The deputy AfD federal spokesperson, Peter Boehringer, responded positively to a court decision regarding the conference venue, saying it was "understandable and correct." The city of Essen had attempted to create a "lex AfD," which the court has now stopped. Boehringer continues, "The rule of law has prevailed."

Although the decision is not yet legally binding, the city of Essen can still appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia. A city representative shared that a legal consultation would take place on Friday, and a decision about how to proceed would be made afterwards. The timeline for the decision hasn't been specified.

The Essen Messe canceled the rental agreement with the AfD following demands from the Essen city council for a legal commitment from the party to refrain from causing provocations, including the use of the slogan "Alles für Deutschland," during the event. Failure to provide such a statement would result in a €500,000 contract penalty for each infraction.

Since the AfD did not provide the requested statement, the Messe Essen, which holds a majority stake by the city, terminated the contract from January 2023.

The Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court ruled that a party could only be denied access to the hall if there was a risk of criminal activity during its use. The court also emphasized that strict conditions must be met before a particular party, like the AfD, without prior constitutional violations, could be prevented from using a venue. The court based this decision on the belief that a ban would infringe on the constitutionally protected right to equal access for political parties.

Read also:

1. The court's decision allows the AfD's party conference to take place at Grugahalle in Gelsenkirchen, as ordered by the Federal Party Conference.
2. Despite the court ruling, the city of Essen is considering appealing to the Higher Administrative Court of North Rhine-Westphalia, seeking a different outcome.
3. The AfD's event was initially scheduled to take place at Essen Messe, but the contract was terminated due to the lack of a commitment to avoid provocations.
4. The Grugahalle is now a potential venue for the AfD's party conference, following the ruling by the Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court.
5. Peter Boehringer, a key AfD spokesperson, praised the court's decision, stating that the rule of law had prevailed and the attempt by Essen to create a "lex AfD" was stopped.
6. The court emphasized that a party could only be denied access to a venue if there was a risk of criminal activity, and strict conditions must be met before preventing equal access for political parties like the AfD.

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