Examination of possible crimes
Islamist demonstration calls public prosecutors into action
April 29, 2024, 9:32 a.m
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The Basic Law also allows extremist expressions of opinion. The demonstration in Hamburg organized by Islamists is not without consequences. The police chief announces an examination.
After a demonstration organized by Islamists with more than 1,000 participants in Hamburg at the weekend, the public prosecutor’s office is to take action. Police Chief Falk Schnabel announced on the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” that the individual slogans and banners would be checked for criminal relevance.
“But it is also a fact that our Basic Law also allows extremist expressions of opinion with a view to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression,” he added. The right to assembly is designed in such a way that it is not primarily about allowing or banning certain opinions. “We are the police, our law is neutral,” said Schnabel. The right to assembly is essentially about whether a gathering is peaceful.
At the demonstration in Hamburg on Saturday with more than 1,000 participants, slogans such as “Germany = dictatorship of values” or “Caliphate is the solution” could be read on posters. According to information from the Hamburg Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the person who registered the rally is close to the Muslim Interaktiv group, which is classified as definitely extremist.
In the St. Georg district, participants protested against an alleged Islamophobic policy and an alleged media campaign in Germany. Speakers accused politicians and the media of “cheap lies” and “cowardly reporting” that were intended to brand all Muslims in Germany as Islamists against the backdrop of the Gaza war. The organizers repeatedly asked the demonstrators to shout “Allahu Akbar” (“God is great”). The rally was secured by a large police presence. There were no incidents.