Three weeks before the party conference of the AfD Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart’s Carl-Benz-Arena, the hall operator gave the party a basket. The AfD knows such a scenario.
The AfD Baden-Württemberg cannot hold its party conference in the Carl Benz Arena in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt in just under three weeks. Sascha Penna, operator of the Carl Benz Arena, has now rejected the AfD because of extensive security measures.
Police need hundreds of officers for protection
The reason for this is, among other things, that two concerts by the Fantastischen Vier with up to 100,000 visitors were taking place in Neckarpark on the first weekend in July. The police also expect troublemakers from the left-wing scene. A protection zone, several hundred officers and water cannons would be needed to secure the party congress, according to the police. “We cannot be responsible for the fact that there is personal injury and damage to property,” said Penna of the German Press Agency (dpa).
Again and again there are protests against rallies and meetings of the AfD – like here in Herrenberg in January 2022. Over 1,000 counter-demonstrators protested there against an AfD rally.
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AfD wants to sue the refusal in court
The AfD wants to take legal action against the cancellation. “The termination is completely unjustified. A danger to security does not come from the AfD, but at most from violent left-wing extremists,” said party spokesman and vice-president Markus Frohnmaier of the dpa. The right-wing populist party often has to struggle with operators not wanting to make event rooms available to them.
800 to 1,000 delegates and visitors were expected for the state party conference on July 2nd and 3rd. The state presidency is also to be redefined there after the parliamentary group leader Alice Weidel announced her withdrawal.