Corona meetings: In a press conference, decision-makers in the Lower Allgäu comment on the current situation and clear up prejudices

Created: 2022-01-21Updated: 2022-01-21 18:54

By: Melanie Springer-Restle

The head of the security and order department Isabell Sittner-Zehner (left), District Administrator Alex Eder (centre) and the head of the Mindelheim Police Inspectorate Dagmar Bethke (right) explained their approach to the Corona meetings.

© Springer-Restle

Mindelheim/Unterallgäu – As in the rest of Bavaria, the Monday walks in Mindelheim have taken on a momentum of their own that keeps the authorities on their toes.

The Unterallgäu district office, together with the police, reassesses the situation every week.

Many a citizen resents the supposed freedoms that are granted to walkers.

This is one of the reasons why District Administrator Alex Eder, Mayor Dr.

Stephan Winter, police and the head of the security and order department, Isabell Sittner-Zehner, invite you to a press conference.

During the last Mindelheim Monday walk, more than 1,200 people were out and about to express their dissatisfaction with the current Corona policy. According to the assessment of the district office and the Mindelheim Police Inspectorate, everything has been peaceful so far. Dagmar Bethke, head of the Mindelheim Police Inspectorate, and District Administrator Eder welcomed the fact that an official leader of the meeting has now made himself available for the walks. A meeting leader determines the course of the meeting, ensures order during it, works towards non-violence and can appoint stewards to fulfill his tasks. All of this was the case on recent walks. Eder made it clear that finding someone who would take responsibility here was not a matter of course.For the authorities, working with a meeting leader makes organizing security measures a lot easier because, for example, you can jointly define the route of the walk. However, it is not just the walkers who are expressing dissatisfaction, but also the citizens of Mindelheim, politicians and traders - however, about the fact that the walkers are allegedly given too much freedom. The walkers can take it easy, don't have to wear masks, don't have to keep the necessary distances and would also be protected by the authorities, according to the general perception among those who do not approve of the walks.However, it is not just the walkers who are expressing dissatisfaction, but also the citizens of Mindelheim, politicians and traders - however, about the fact that the walkers are allegedly given too much freedom. The walkers can take it easy, don't have to wear masks, don't have to keep the necessary distances and would also be protected by the authorities, according to the general perception among those who do not approve of the walks.However, it is not just the walkers who are expressing dissatisfaction, but also the citizens of Mindelheim, politicians and traders - however, about the fact that the walkers are allegedly given too much freedom. The walkers can take it easy, don't have to wear masks, don't have to keep the necessary distances and would also be protected by the authorities, according to the general perception among those who do not approve of the walks.this is the general perception among those who do not approve of the walks.this is the general perception among those who do not approve of the walks.

At the beginning of the press conference, Eder emphasized that the right of assembly is enshrined in Article 8 of the Basic Law and only applies if the meetings are peaceful and unarmed.

According to Dagmar Bethke, this has always been the case.

Therefore, there is no reason to seek a general decree that would prevent walks.

Even if gatherings were not registered, there would be no legal basis to simply ban them.

Still, there are some troubling allegations in the air that Monday strollers are being blamed for.

The counter-movement "Mindelheim is responsible" initiated by City Councilor Roland Ahne also aims, among other things, to encourage Monday strollers to become more responsible.

In today's press conference, the participants in today's press conference explained their approach and commented on allegations that were circulating.

The Wochen KURIER has tried to summarize the most important points.

Assertion 1: "The walkers can take whatever they want."

Bethke refuted this argument based on her experiences of the last Monday walks, during which she was in charge of operations. The participants always followed the instructions of the police and cooperated. You have made use of the right to freedom of assembly and duly registered the assembly. The distances caused by the pandemic were largely observed. Largely does not always mean 100 percent, but it was clear that the participants were willing to follow the instructions. The fact that the organizers mobilized their own stewards to keep an eye on the participants also testified to their willingness to cooperate. “We had an extremely peaceful clientele. The instructions of the police were always followed," says Bethke.

Assertion 2: "The walkers were clearly given preference over the counter-event 'Mindelheim is responsible'."

The head of the security and order department, Isabell Sittner-Zehner - just like the police - had safety concerns about allowing both events to take place at the same time because it was not foreseeable how many people would actually come. In a cooperation meeting, in which Roland Ahne also took part, it was jointly decided to change the date. The decisions made by the police and the district office are never about preferences for one group or another, but only about security and order. If the Monday walk had been postponed or to another day, there would have been a risk that many walkers would still have been on Marienplatz at 6 p.m. on Monday, since the weekday and time had established themselves accordingly, explained Sittner-Zehner. Eder added,that Monday walkers are out and about all over Bavaria from 6 p.m. Breaking this tradition would be difficult.

Claim 3: "The Monday walks are used by right-wing extremists and other extremist groups."

During the last Monday walk, the leader of the meeting, Sandra Jungbold, emphasized that right-wing extremists and other extremist groups are not welcome here. The organizers explicitly do not want such participants. It is not in the hands of the organizers that they join without being asked. Bethke and her colleagues had not noticed anything questionable in this regard. There have been a total of three leaflets that have since been distributed in Mindelheim, one of which presumably came from the Reich Citizens' Movement. The fact that no imprint was noted on any leaflet represents an administrative offence. Bethke appealed to the civil courage of the meeting participants at this point. This is the only way to find out about extremist groups that join in without being asked.During the last walk, a walker reported seeing a man shouting Nazi slogans. However, emergency services could not locate the person. Nevertheless, the PI Mindelheim has initiated investigations into the suspicion of inciting content/use of National Socialist slogans against unknown persons. At this point, Eder criticized the inflammatory reporting by the media. One searches specifically for clues such as people with combat boots, in order to then be able to generalize. This is doing the pedestrians injustice. Bethke also underlined the role of the media in spreading mood pictures.Nevertheless, the PI Mindelheim has initiated investigations into the suspicion of inciting content/use of National Socialist slogans against unknown persons. At this point, Eder criticized the inflammatory reporting by the media. One searches specifically for clues such as people with combat boots, in order to then be able to generalize. This is doing the pedestrians injustice. Bethke also underlined the role of the media in spreading mood pictures.Nevertheless, the PI Mindelheim has initiated investigations into the suspicion of inciting content/use of National Socialist slogans against unknown persons. At this point, Eder criticized the inflammatory reporting by the media. One searches specifically for clues such as people with combat boots, in order to then be able to generalize. This is doing the pedestrians injustice. Bethke also underlined the role of the media in spreading mood pictures.This is doing the pedestrians injustice. Bethke also underlined the role of the media in spreading mood pictures.This is doing the pedestrians injustice. Bethke also underlined the role of the media in spreading mood pictures.

Assertion 4: "Many people come from abroad who are no longer allowed to go for a walk in their own places of residence."

During the last Monday walks, Dagmar Bethke and her team also kept an eye on parked cars, especially on the parking lots outside the old town.

An accumulation of foreign license plates was not noticed here.

In addition, it is difficult to get a legal basis to check the license plate number of a parked car without further evidence.

Car owners from the Ostallgäu or from Kempten can simply work in Mindelheim.

As soon as an accumulation of foreign license plates can be determined, one can act accordingly.

"So far, 95 percent of us have been from Mindelheim and Unterallgäu," says Bethke.

respect the rights and freedoms of all citizens

Also Mayor Dr. Stephan Winter thinks it's right that everyone can express their opinion, but the freedoms of others must also be protected. He worries about the retailers in the city, who would be disadvantaged by the Monday walks. Citizens have also complained that they can no longer get into the city center due to the road closures. He appealed to everyone to shape the perception of fundamental rights in such a way that the fundamental rights of others do not suffer as a result. "A retailer also has the right to practice his trade," he said for illustration.

The decision-makers in the Lower Allgäu continued to speak out clearly in favor of the right of assembly.

However, you can only plan from week to week.

The meeting next Monday will be restricted in such a way that a minimum distance of 1.5 meters must be maintained between all meeting participants.

In the event that there should be a stationary rally before or after the moving assembly, the following applies: Where it is not possible to maintain a minimum distance of 1.5 meters from other people, the assembly participants are required to wear a mouth and nose mask. coverage required.