Forest festival disrupted by performer: Legal battle ensues
In the picturesque town of GΓ€gelow, Mecklenburg, the future of a renowned festival against right-wing extremism is hanging in the balance. The event, organised by Birgit and Horst Lohmeyer since 2007, has been a nationwide symbol of courage against extremism, attracting prominent German musicians such as Herbert GrΓΆnemeyer, Die Toten Hosen, and Die Γrzte.
However, legal disputes with the municipality and district of Nordwestmecklenburg have cast a shadow over this year's edition, scheduled for August 22 and 23. The organiser must ensure payment of the usage fee and a deposit by Sunday, as per the court's ruling, but the festival's continuation remains uncertain due to ongoing legal disputes.
The municipality of GΓ€gelow charged a rent of 7,870 euros for the first time this year, a fee that the Lohmeyers contested in court. The Administrative Court of Schwerin ruled in favour of the Lohmeyers, stating that the municipality must agree to the contract with the right of withdrawal requested by the organisers. The court also pointed out that both the organisers and the municipality had previously assumed the possibility of reimbursement.
The district imposed conditions on the event under an "ordinance", a move that the Lohmeyers managed to circumvent by registering the event as a political assembly. This move subjected the event to conditions, but it allowed the organisers to avoid the rent demand.
Landrat Tino Schomann (CDU) from the county commissioner's office has filed an objection with the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Greifswald against the decision of the Administrative Court in favour of the Lohmeyers. Daniel Peters, another CDU state parliamentarian, has expressed disagreement with the Lohmeyers' registration of the event as a political assembly to avoid the rent demand, stating that event organisers must comply with the conditions.
The Higher Administrative Court can receive an appeal against the decision of the Administrative Court from Thursday. The court has yet to decide on the county commissioner's appeal. Julian Barlen, the head of the SPD faction in the state parliament, has sided with the Lohmeyers, praising their festival as a "nationwide symbol of the courage to stand up against right-wing extremism" and expressing concern that the county commissioner might hinder this commitment.
As the deadline for payment approaches, the organisers are left in limbo, hoping for a swift resolution from the Higher Administrative Court. The festival, a beacon of hope and unity, stands on the brink of cancellation, a casualty of legal wrangles that threaten to overshadow its message of peace and tolerance.
