Neo-Nazis put up German election posters saying “hang the Greens”, which, on the grounds of free speech, were allowed to stay up.
The city of Zwickau in eastern Germany had ordered a ban on the posters after they appeared during the general election campaign.
But a court in the state of Saxony overturned the ban, ruling that the posters could stay if they were moved 100 metres away from official Green party advertising.
In a provisional ruling, judges said it was unclear whether strict requirements had been met for limiting free speech during an election campaign.
The decision was met with widespread criticism and is expected to face an appeal by city authorities. Similar posters appeared elsewhere in Germany.
“For us it doesn’t make any difference whether the posters are hanging here or 100m away,” said Zwickau mayor Constance Arndt.
“The demand to hang the Greens is and remains completely unacceptable, undemocratic and irresponsible.”
Josef Schuster, the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, said the ruling left him speechless.
“Right-wing extremists call for violence against the Greens and the court in Chemnitz talks about freedom of speech,” he said. “Seriously? What understanding of democracy does our justice system have?”.
Neo-Nazi background
A small neo-Nazi party called The Third Way put its name to the posters, which call on people to “vote German” at the election on September 26.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency described the party in an annual report as being defined by xenophobia, anti-Semitism and neo-Nazi ideology.
It said the party fundamentally rejects Germany’s liberal democratic order, in particular with its statements on asylum and immigration.
The party won about 12,800 votes at European elections in 2019, less than 0.1 per cent of the total. It has no national or regional representation but is standing in this year’s election.
The Greens are a regular target of far-right activists. Party leader Annalena Baerbock has been targeted by online smear campaigns.
Local Green activists responded with a new poster that mocked the court’s decision by announcing “This poster keeps the surrounding 100m Nazi-free”.
“We find the court decision in Chemnitz very bemusing and surprising,” said Christin Furtenbacher, a spokeswoman for the Greens in Saxony.
“Incitement to murder more than 3,300 members of a democratic party in Saxony, and its supporters, has no place in the public domain.”
The former East Germany is a stronghold of the far right. The Alternative for Germany party topped the poll in Saxony at the 2017 election.
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday
Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm kick-off UAE)
Bayer Leverkusen v Schalke (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Cologne (5.30pm)
Mainz v Arminia Bielefeld (5.30pm)
Augsburg v Hoffenheim (5.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Bayern Munich (8.30pm)
Borussia Monchengladbach v Freiburg (10.30pm)
Sunday
VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Union Berlin v Hertha Berlin (8pm)
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The biog
Name: Abeer Al Bah
Born: 1972
Husband: Emirati lawyer Salem Bin Sahoo, since 1992
Children: Soud, born 1993, lawyer; Obaid, born 1994, deceased; four other boys and one girl, three months old
Education: BA in Elementary Education, worked for five years in a Dubai school
SPECS
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Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Getting there
The flights
Flydubai operates up to seven flights a week to Helsinki. Return fares to Helsinki from Dubai start from Dh1,545 in Economy and Dh7,560 in Business Class.
The stay
Golden Crown Igloos in Levi offer stays from Dh1,215 per person per night for a superior igloo; www.leviniglut.net
Panorama Hotel in Levi is conveniently located at the top of Levi fell, a short walk from the gondola. Stays start from Dh292 per night based on two people sharing; www. golevi.fi/en/accommodation/hotel-levi-panorama
Arctic Treehouse Hotel in Rovaniemi offers stays from Dh1,379 per night based on two people sharing; www.arctictreehousehotel.com
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
Fund-raising tips for start-ups
Develop an innovative business concept
Have the ability to differentiate yourself from competitors
Put in place a business continuity plan after Covid-19
Prepare for the worst-case scenario (further lockdowns, long wait for a vaccine, etc.)
Have enough cash to stay afloat for the next 12 to 18 months
Be creative and innovative to reduce expenses
Be prepared to use Covid-19 as an opportunity for your business
* Tips from Jassim Al Marzooqi and Walid Hanna
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
