Old Town and Tannenbusch Residents annoyed by celebrations for Kurdish New Year in Bonn
Bonn · Around 100 people gathered for the Kurdish New Year celebrations in Bonn's Old Town on Monday evening. A resident of Frankenbadplatz voices criticism - and she is not alone.
Around 100 people met in front of the Frankenbad in Bonn's old town on Monday evening to celebrate the Kurdish New Year, Newroz. As can be seen in the photo taken by a local resident, individual participants in the gathering were - at least temporarily - not wearing masks. Apparently, moreover, several people joined hands to dance.
"I don't understand why such celebrations are allowed, while we are otherwise forced to limit our private lives to the bare minimum," the angry resident, who did not want to read her name in the newspaper, told the GA on Tuesday. The public order office had done nothing and referred to the police. Their spokesperson Michael Beyer pointed out that according to the incident report there had been no special incidents. The event with 150 participants had been authorised for the period from 5.30 p.m. to 7 p.m. according to the applicable assembly law in agreement with the city. According to Beyer, the celebrations ended at about 7.20 pm. Officials of the public order service and the police were on site, but did not have to intervene.
Jamal Mousa from the German-Kurdish Cultural House, who had registered the event, paints a similar picture. "We played music and some danced. If they grabbed their hands or someone took off their masks, I told them not to do that," Mousa explained when asked by the GA. They also had disinfectant with them. There have been no complaints from the residents, he said. "No neighbour approached us," Mousa said.
Trouble already at Saturday's celebration
When asked, the city only explained that as the regulatory authority, it was responsible for the "infection control requirements". The minimum distances, the obligation to wear masks and the traceability had been ordered in advance. Last Saturday, there had already been trouble in Tannenbusch in the course of the celebrations for the Kurdish New Year. Around 150 instead of the originally announced ten to 20 people had met in the Grünzug Nord. A resident had written a letter to the police and the city criticising the fact that the celebration had been allowed at all despite the valid Corona Protection Ordinance and that it had taken place in the local recreation area. The municipality confirmed that it had approved the event under "infection control conditions". Initially, not all conditions had been implemented, but this had been done after requests from the police, according to the press office. The Bürger Bund Bonn (BBB), however, demands a plan of action from Mayor Katja Dörner to prevent violations in the future. The incidents during the New Year's celebrations are only a foretaste of what could follow in view of the rising temperatures.
(Original text: Joshua Bung, Rüdiger Franz / Translation: Mareike Graepel)