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Political tensions on the Kornmarkt: Nuremberg meetings in focus
On June 16, 2025, political meetings and counter-rallies took place in downtown Nuremberg, which were supervised by the police.
Political tensions on the Kornmarkt: Nuremberg meetings in focus
On Monday evening, June 16, 2025, Nuremberg city center became the scene of a political dispute centered around the topics of right-wing extremism and freedom of assembly. How In Franconia Reportedly, a meeting was held under the motto “Alliance against right-wing extremism – ban!” accompanied by a large number of counter-protests.
Around 90 people gathered on the western side of the Kornmarkt from 6:30 p.m. to share their thoughts about the dangers of right-wing extremism. Opposite, on the eastern side, up to 300 counter-demonstrators from groups such as “Nuremberg Nazi Free”, “Vigil against the Monday demonstration by the Human Rights Team” and “Musicians against Nazis” formed. The police had taken precautionary measures in advance by separating the various meeting areas with barriers to prevent the political camps from directly clashing.
Protests and police action
What was particularly noticeable in the counter-demonstrations was the use of flares and the attachment of banners to the parapet of the union hall. In a quick response, police conducted selective preliminary checks on several counter-demonstrators. At around 7:25 p.m., participants in the original meeting set out on a demonstration, while counter-demonstrators also mobilized along an alternative route.
Despite the police separation, sit-ins by counter-demonstrators occurred at various points along the route, prompting officers to direct the procession past the blockades. Direct force was occasionally used, which led to the arrest of a demonstrator who suffered a head wound and was treated by emergency services. The police are now investigating some meeting participants for theft, bodily harm and violations of the Bavarian assembly law, including cases of protective weapons.
The discussion about freedom of assembly
The events in Nuremberg shed light on the current discussion about the assembly law, which is also explosive in other parts of Germany. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, thousands demonstrated against a planned law that is criticized as restricting freedom of assembly. network politics reports that police there used pepper spray and batons and held several people with a kettle. Critics criticize the high level of police violence and the restriction of civil rights, which also resulted in a specific attack on a journalist who became the focus of attention due to police violence.
These incidents in North Rhine-Westphalia and the associated debate about freedom of assembly reflect the concerns that many citizens have about the potential abuse of laws by police authorities. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution even warns of left-wing extremists among the demonstrators, which creates additional tension in this already charged situation. In this context, a flashpoint becomes apparent: the need to find a balance between freedom of assembly and public safety.
What remains are the questions of how far the state can go in the interest of security and whether the current laws actually protect the freedom of the individual or undermine it. The discussion about this will certainly have to be continued not only in Nuremberg, but also nationwide.