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Berlin court overturns demo ban: Police prepare large-scale operation - "In the end we won't be able to watch ..."

2020-08-28T14:37:32.737Z


Berlin has banned another corona demo. The right decision? There is a dispute about this. Meanwhile, right-wing extremist calls for violence on the Internet are shocking.


Berlin has banned another corona demo. The right decision? There is a dispute about this. Meanwhile, right-wing extremist calls for violence on the Internet are shocking.

  • A large corona demonstration was announced again for the weekend in Berlin.
  • The event was banned - the decision is controversial and could still be overturned by the courts.
  • Calls for violence and a "storm on Berlin" in social networks meanwhile cause great concern.

Update from August 28, 3:11 p.m.: Michael Ballweg, representative of the lateral thinking initiative and initiator of the demonstration against the Corona measures planned for Saturday in Berlin, described the decision of the Berlin Administrative Court as a "complete success for us". "This is a success for our basic rights, which we have and which we do not have to allow ourselves to be approved," explains Ballweg in a video message on the YouTube platform. In addition, he called for the demonstrators to behave peacefully. "Those who incite violence are not ours."

Corona demo: Berlin police with 3000 officers on duty - call for nonviolence

The Berlin police have meanwhile announced that in view of the large demonstration that has now been approved on Saturday with 3000 officials, compliance with the minimum distances will be checked Operations manager Stephan Katte on Friday in Berlin .

The Berlin police also announced that they are currently reviewing a complaint against the judgment of the administrative court . Even Police President Barabra Slowik urged the demonstrators to violence. "Please act responsibly and sensibly - there is nothing that can legitimize violence."

Administrative court overturns ban on corona demo - requirements not met

Update from August 28, 2:16 p.m.: In the grounds of the Berlin Administrative Court for the judgment , it says that there are no prerequisites for a ban. The organizer of the demo on Saturday presented a hygiene concept and the state of Berlin could not have sufficiently demonstrated that this could not be adhered to. The court also complained that the assembly authority had only insufficiently examined alternatives to a ban on assemblies , such as changing the location or limiting the number of participants.

On the other hand, the organizer was instructed by the court to move the stage of the rally a little in order to create more space. In addition, loudspeaker announcements and stewards must ensure that the applicable minimum distance is maintained.

Corona demo now allowed: the state of Berlin wants to call the higher administrative court

Update from August 28, 2:06 p.m.: Even if the decision of the Berlin administrative court is not yet final, police chief Barbara Slowik had already announced before the verdict was announced that in the event of a legal defeat, she would go to the higher administrative court .

Update from August 28, 1:44 p.m.: The Berlin administrative court has overturned the police's prohibition order for a planned demonstration against the corona policy. The event on Saturday could take place under certain conditions, a court spokesman told the dpa on Friday. However, the decision is not yet final.

Corona demo in Berlin: Police come with a large number - and appeal to protesters

Update from August 28, 1:08 p.m.: Berlin's police chief Barbara Slowik is defending the ban on the planned corona demo at a press conference scheduled at short notice. In the weighing up, "priority was given to the right to life and physical integrity". The purpose of the gathering alone makes it clear that the participants will not adhere to corona measures, she emphasizes.

"Please act responsibly and sensibly. There is nothing that can legitimize violence, ”Slowik appealed. The police chief spoke of "calls for violence propagated on the Internet". The Berlin police basically talk to everyone who is ready to talk.

The Berlin police want to prevent the previously banned demo on Saturday with a large contingent of 3,000 police officers . However, if it is allowed by the courts, strict regulations for the participants to protect against corona infections should be issued and enforced. This was announced by the head of operations Stephan Katte. Should the demonstrators not adhere to distance and mask rules, the demonstration will be "quickly" broken up .

It is difficult to say exactly how many people are expected, Slowik said. She spoke of a maximum of 30,000 demonstrators . However, it is possible that the ban would prevent many from arriving. Katte named a number of 10,000 to 20,000 demonstrators. Most of the 5,100 other registrations for demonstrations so far are intended for "alternative events" and are therefore also prohibited.

The police were concerned about the "open willingness to use violence" formulated on the Internet, as Vice President Marco Langner said. There are also many calls from right-wing extremists to attend the gatherings.

"Storm on Berlin"? Right-wing extremists are apparently more active in planning demos

Update from August 28, 11:52 a.m.: According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, right-wing extremists are more active in the run-up to the canceled Berlin demonstration against the Corona requirements than at the last major protest event in the capital. "The calls for mobilization by right-wing extremists are broader and more intense than in the run-up to the demonstration on August 1, 2020 in Berlin," said the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution on Friday .

"In this respect, it is quite possible that the current activities will lead to the participation of right-wing extremists going beyond the previous level," it said. However, this cannot be reliably predicted. The Federal Office is observing the development.

Update from August 28, 11:15 a.m.: Berlin could be even more unrest on the weekend: Left activists want to protest against the announced demonstrations against the Corona policy on Saturday . The Berlin alliance against the right called for a rally from 9.30 a.m. at the memorial for the Sinti and Roma murdered under National Socialism at the Brandenburg Gate. Motto: "No place for Nazis". The mountain party is also organizing a rally at the Friedrichstrasse train station from 10 a.m. onwards under the title “People of perpetrators looking for the role of victims?” A bicycle parade is to start from there at 12 noon.

Berlin: Chaos after the Corona demo ban - 3,000 new protests registered

Update from August 28, 9:50 a.m.: The supporters of the corona demo in Berlin, which has been banned for the time being, are apparently still bombarding the authorities with new protests : 3,000 such requests had been received by yesterday evening , a police spokeswoman told the portal Focus Online . Registrations had been submitted “every 30 minutes,” she said. It could go on similarly on Friday.

According to the information, the police and courts are now checking whether there are alternative events or whether it is about other issues. The report said it was confident that the applications could be processed during the day.

Ban on corona demo in Berlin: the court will decide on Friday - the head of the chancellery expresses reservations about cancellation

Update from August 28, 6:30 a.m.: Apparently this afternoon or evening, the Berlin administrative court will decide on the ban on the originally planned corona demo in the capital. The court gave the state of Berlin until Friday afternoon to comment. It is about a response to the contradiction of the initiative “lateral thinking” against the demo ban.

In addition, Berlin's police chief Barbara Slowik wants to inform about the ban on assemblies and measures taken by the police on Friday afternoon (12 noon). Opponents of the Corona measures had, among other things, registered a larger demonstration on the Straße des 17. Juni on Saturday in the capital. The police prohibited this.

Chancellor Helge Braun cautiously criticized the Berlin decision in the ZDF broadcast “Maybrit Illner”: “What I found very difficult and what, I believe, the big problem here was that the reason for the rejection of the demonstration was the intention of the Protesters were included in the argument. And of course that doesn't work ”. The CDU politician spoke of a very difficult question of weighing up the ban. "I think that opponents of corona can demonstrate," said the head of the Chancellery. Of course you have to submit to the rules there.

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Police and demonstrators in focus: There is a dispute over a planned Corona protest in Berlin.

© Kay Nietfeld / dpa

Update from August 27, 9:36 p.m .: Berlin's Governing Mayor Michael Müller (SPD) has defended the ban on a planned demonstration by opponents of the Corona policy . If it was announced from the start that corona rules would not be observed, then that would be a risk for many people from the outset, said Müller on Thursday evening.

This does not only apply to the participants themselves. “The demonstrators go back, they take the local public transport home, they go to work, they go into the family. And everywhere in these contacts they endanger others again, ”said Müller . “And they send out a signal that what is decided in connection with the pandemic is not important. We can't accept that like that. "

Ban on Corona demo in Berlin: Merkel shows understanding - "respect for it"

Update from August 27, 5.43 p.m .: Chancellor Angela Merkel showed understanding for the Berlin ban on Thursday. “It is clear that Berlin also attaches great importance to the fact that demonstrations are also subject to hygiene regulations. So: respect for it, ”said the CDU politician, who will speak up again on Friday. Then the traditional summer PK is on the agenda.

Update from August 27, 3:10 p.m.: After the ban on the demonstration against the federal government's corona policy planned for Saturday in Berlin, around 1000 new demonstrations were registered with the police as a reaction. According to officials, the number is expected to continue to rise.

A police spokeswoman said on Thursday afternoon that calls for this would be circulating on the Internet. However, it is unclear whether the meetings will actually take place, even if they cannot be forbidden in principle, explained the employee of the Berlin police. Germany threatens a new weekend of state of emergency on the streets. Meanwhile, the virtual meeting between Chancellor Angela Merkel and the prime ministers of the federal states is going to bang.

Corona demo ban: threats of violence in circulation - expert is concerned

First report from August 27th: Berlin - The ban on the planned Corona demo at the weekend in Berlin is causing heated debates - and is even fueling concerns about possible riots in the capital.

In social networks there is apparently no shrinking even from calling for violence. According to a report by the dpa, for example in the messenger service Telegram, weapons are now also allowed for counter-defense . Apparently in an open allusion to the "March on Berlin" of the National Socialists, the "storm on Berlin" is incited, right-wing extremists are calling for trips to the capital.

Corona demo banned in Berlin: Expert warns - "Radicals cannot be deterred"

"The more extreme forces are currently insisting on holding the demonstration," said political scientist Josef
Holnburger of the news agency. "The current ban will rather prevent the more moderate forces from coming to Berlin, the more radical ones not," explained the scientist, who researches conspiracy theories, among other things.

Berlin's Senator for the Interior, Andreas Geisel (SPD) , was also concerned. There have been significant threats against his authority and against the police , he told the Tagesspiegel . On the rbb-Inforadio , he said that the protests were a very heterogeneous spectrum. Between 20,000 and 30,000 people came together on August 1, including 3,000 to 4,000 neo-Nazis . "We expect a few thousand more neo-Nazis and a few thousand more demonstrators at the weekend." The police were present with several thousand officers at the weekend to either enforce the ban on demonstrations or to enforce strict requirements.

Berlin corona demo banned: Interior Senator defends decision - danger for residents and police officers

Geisel also defended the ban on the demonstration against the corona policy. He spoke of a difficult decision. The aim of the demonstration is to violate protection against infection. That is why the basic right to the integrity of life was valued higher than the right to freedom of assembly.

One has to weigh up what potential danger exists for the health of the participants, but also for other Berliners and above all for the police officers. "That's why we made it clear that we won't let ourselves dance around on the nose again," said Geisel.

However, there were also voices demanding permission for the protests. "Nonsense" is also part of freedom of expression, tweeted former Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (FDP) . Strict conditions are better than a blanket ban - and if they are violated, dissolution.

#SturmaufBerlin Instead of banning this demo across the board, it should be approved under strict conditions. Compliance must then be consistently guaranteed. This means in the event of violations: resolve in case of doubt Nonsense is also part of freedom of expression.

- Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger (@sls_fdp) August 27, 2020

Corona demo ban: organizers want to appeal to the courts - last minute decision possible

On August 1st, thousands of people took to the streets in Berlin. Because many did not wear masks and did not keep the minimum distance , the police broke up a rally. Now the assembly authorities have banned the police from several protests planned for the weekend.

The organizer initiative from Stuttgart wants to take action against the ban before the administrative court and, if necessary, also appeal to the Higher Administrative Court and the Federal Constitutional Court. The corresponding complaint from the initiative lateral thinking 711 was received on Thursday, as a court spokeswoman for the AFP news agency said. Accordingly, a decision can be expected on Friday morning.

In the event of a defeat, the organizers can first appeal to the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg and then to the Federal Constitutional Court. Should the administrative court in Berlin overturn the ban, the assembly authority can also take action before the higher administrative court. However, it cannot legally take the step to Karlsruhe.

Corona protest announced in Berlin: Organizers and AfD express serious allegations

The initiative lateral thinking 711 and the AfD accused the senator of wanting to ban the demonstration for political reasons. The initiator of the demonstration, Michael Ballweg , wrote that it was "not about fears regarding protection against infection (...) but solely about the attitudes of the participants".

When asked whether there was no suspicion that in the end it was less about protection against infection and more about keeping Reich citizens and right-wing extremists away, Geisel said on information radio : “No. That is a difficult trade-off that we made there. It's in the prohibition order, it's about infection protection. ”But he also has the right to have a political opinion.

When asked whether it was politically wise, these two things so close to each other in a communication to formulate, he said: "In court counts only the prohibition, not my political attitude." But the state that democracy defend itself must be, and also take a political stance is his conviction.

Corona demo Berlin: The protection of the constitution does not see right-wing extremists in a leading role

The domestic secret service also spoke up in the dispute. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution , right-wing extremists are meanwhile not playing a leading role in the demonstrations against the Corona policy.

Right-wing extremist parties have tried again and again in the past few months and intensively advertised participation, said Thomas Haldenwang, President of the Protection of the Constitution, the ARD magazine “Kontraste”. These attempts were "not particularly effective". The Office for the Protection of the Constitution sees “a large number of people who cling to the most varied of conspiracy theories,” he said. But that is all in the area of ​​“what is still moving on the ground of the Basic Law”.

The headlines had recently also made appearances by police officers at Corona demos. On the other hand, the appearance of a cabaret artist at a protest in Stuttgart was unexpectedly polarizing. ( dpa / AFP / fn )

List of rubric lists: © Christoph Soeder / dpa

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2020-08-28

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