Hannover: Police forbid NPD deployment

A planned for Saturday demonstration of right-wing NPD against three journalists has been banned by the police department of Hannover. The police said Thursday night. "In the recent past, new facts have become known from publicly available sources," was the reasoning. From these it can be concluded that an immediate threat to public safety is to be expected. The NPD can challenge the ban on the demonstration planned in the city center at the Administrative Court.

Last Friday, journalists, media companies and associations responded to the planned NPD campaign with the appeal "Protect the Press Freedom!" published (read here the call on the page of the German Journalists Association). In it, they called on the press council, publishers and editors to show solidarity with threatened colleagues. Politicians are asked to better protect journalists.

Pistorius happy about demo ban

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) said on Thursday evening: "I honestly say with all due neutrality that I am personally happy about this decision and I hope that it will hold in court." Given the new threat assessment by the police department, the decision to ban is correct and appropriate.

The reasons for the ban are stated in the Ministry of Interior's Communication: "New insights into social media activities paint an aggressive picture that suggests that the Assembly should go far beyond legitimate engagement with individuals and their positions."