Germany / Administrative Court Meiningen/ 2 E 355/12 Me

Country

Germany

Title

Germany / Administrative Court Meiningen/ 2 E 355/12 Me

View full Case

Year

2012

Decision/ruling/judgment date

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Incident(s) concerned/related

Incitement to violence or hatred

Related Bias motivation

Religion

Groups affected

Muslims

Court/Body type

National Court

Court/Body

Administrative Court (Verwaltungsgericht)

Key facts of the case

Application by the right-wing party NPD for a public demonstration close to a mosque with the slogan "Stop foreign infiltration - no mosque in E." was rejected by the competent authorities because the gathering posed a threat to public safety. The applicant asked for reversing the prohibition in an urgency appeal.

Main reasoning/argumentation

The competent authority may ban a public meeting or demonstration or may require the compliance with specific conditions, if at the time of the decision according to recognisable circumstances public safety is directly endangered by the event. The risk assessment by the authority requires material grounds, which should, after sound analysis, indicate a sufficient probability of risks. Mere suspicion or assumptions of risk do not meet this requirement.

Is the case related to the application of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia, the Racial Equality Directive?

Key issues (concepts, interpretations) clarified by the case

Right to public gathering and freedom of speech versus risk of sedition against specific groups.

Results (sanctions, outcome) and key consequences or implications of the case

Cancellation of the ban by the competent authority in an urgency decision. Authorisation to raise conditions (shorten the time span for the gathering, dislocation to another place). Rejection of a comparison with bans of public gatherings against Jewish institutions due to the special case of persecution of Jews during WWII.

Key quotation in original language and its unofficial translation into English with reference details

"The ban of a public meeting in direct proximity to a mosque with the slogan "Stop foreign infiltration - no mosque in E." is unlawful because no concrete signs for endangering public safety had been present. The case does not constitute a sedition prohibited by law. The ban is cancelled." "The authorisation for the public gathering is restored under the condition of dislocation to another meeting place more distant to the mosque."

"Das Verbot einer Versammlung in unmittelbarer Nähe eines islamischen Gebetsraums unter dem Motto "Überfremdung stoppen - keine Moschee in E.!" ist rechtswidrig, weil keine konkreten Anhaltspunkte für eine Gefährdung der öffentlichen Sicherheit vorliegen. Das Motto erfüllt nicht den Tatbestand der Volksverhetzung." "Die aufschiebende Wirkung des Widerspruchs des Antragstellers vom 20.07.2012 gegen das Versammlungsverbot der Antragsgegnerin im Bescheid vom gleichen Tag wird unter folgender Auflage wiederhergestellt: Der Kundgebungsort wird auf die J... - aus Richtung S... kommend rechtsseitig hinter den Pollern in Richtung G... verlegt."

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