The right-wing extremist Martin Sellner spoke to supporters who had gathered at the town hall in Chemnitz. According to a dpa reporter, the Austrian spoke briefly to the assembled people from a window of the building and then gave another speech outside.
Sellner, the former head of the Identitarian movement in Austria, had been invited by the city council faction Pro Chemnitz/Freie Sachsen. He was actually supposed to speak at a public parliamentary group meeting on the topic of "remigration" in the town hall - but this was prevented by court orders.
Counter-protest: Human chain around city hall
The action alliance "Chemnitz connects" organized a counter-protest at the same time. According to estimates by the police and assembly authorities, around 500 people took part. They formed a human chain around the town hall.
Court rulings block speech in town hall
The Saxon Higher Administrative Court ruled that the city of Chemnitz did not have to provide the city council faction Pro Chemnitz/Freie Sachsen with rooms in the town hall for a public meeting with Sellner.
The city had revoked a room booking that had already been promised after it became known that the Austrian was to take part in the event. The parliamentary group's urgent appeal against this decision was rejected by both the Chemnitz Administrative Court and the Higher Administrative Court.
Judges: no racist content in the town hall
The courts justified their decisions by stating that the topic of "remigration" did not fall within the remit of Chemnitz city council. In addition, it was to be expected that extremist and racist content would be disseminated - a clear violation of the regulations governing the use of municipal premises. The decision of the Higher Administrative Court is final.
60 supporters at Sellner
According to the city council, the Free Saxons registered a meeting at the town hall. According to the police, around 60 people took part in the late afternoon. Sellner spoke to them.
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