After illegal Corona rally „Querdenker“ lawyer announces more events in Bonn

Bonn · It's like the fairy tale of the hare and the hedgehog, says lawyer Ralf Ludwig, a supporter of the so-called "Corona-Info-Tour". And: "We are 20 hedgehogs." That is why it is impossible to ban all gatherings, according to him. On Wednesday the „Querdenker“ are planning two more demos in Bonn.

 Illegal event in the market place: The police enforced the break-up of the rally on Saturday on behalf of the Public Order Office.

Illegal event in the market place: The police enforced the break-up of the rally on Saturday on behalf of the Public Order Office.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

The city council is taking the matter seriously: The administration is demanding a fine of 20,000 Euro from each of the two applicants for the illegal Corona rally on Saturday, because they have ignored the ban on the event.

The fine on the basis of the Administrative Enforcement Act is a preventive measure to prevent further "inadmissible gatherings of these people on the territory of the Federal City of Bonn", explained city spokeswoman Monika Hörig on Tuesday. The city is still considering whether to impose fines on several other participants in the rally.

According to GA-Informationen, the fine is being levied against the medical doctor Bodo Schiffmann and the IT entrepreneur Wolfgang Greulich, both from Baden-Württemberg, both pandemic sceptics and both organisers of the so-called "Corona-Info-Tour", which is touring through Germany. The city of Bonn had banned the rally in Bonn on Friday with a decree of order, justifying this step with violations of the obligation to wear masks and the requirement to keep a safe distance at previous stops of the "Querdenker" tour.

Greulich went to the Cologne Administrative Court, but failed. According to court spokesman Michael Ott, his application was received in the night before Saturday at around 4 a.m. and was inadmissible on formal grounds alone because no lawyer had been appointed. However, the judge on call had, in a balancing of interests, also agreed with the content of the application: Due to the history of the "Tour", it was to be feared in his view that the participants in the rally would once again violate Corona requirements and face a confrontation with the public order office and the police. And that is exactly what happened.

Greulich and Schiffmann in charge

In another ordinance, on Saturday the city banned the activists Greulich and Schiffmann from holding any event in connection with the "info tour" throughout the city, according to the press office. This also applied to alternative events of all kinds. Other "Querdenker" registered several rush meetings at different locations in Bonn - two of them on the market square. Not all of them answered the phone when the city wanted to inform them of the respective ban. The municipality sees Greulich and Schiffmann as responsible anyway. "The chat sequences and statements of the original meeting applicants in the Telegram groups and video files prove that a substitute meeting was held," said city spokeswoman Hörig, without confirming specific names.

The Leipzig lawyer Ralf Ludwig, also a supporter of the "Corona-Info-Tour", denies this. The rally at the market had been registered by a man from Bonn, whom he had accompanied on site. Bodo Schiffmann was only present as an observer. According to Ludwig, the Bonn applicant was not banned by the city. "That is to say, this meeting was indicated, not forbidden and not disbanded".

The police had therefore unlawfully "obstructed" the rally by asking participants to leave the market. According to the press office, the local organisers were uncooperative. For this reason, the public order authority had "dissolved the illegal substitute meeting with the assistance of the police with three announcements, most recently at 7.50 pm".

Lawyer Ludwig announced a declaratory action against the city. Bonn could also prepare itself for further actions: "Bonn's "Querdenker" now have a team of lawyers behind them," emphasised Ludwig. It was like the fairytale of hare and hedgehog: "Only that we are 20 hedgehogs. It is almost impossible to ban all gatherings“.

Two demos on Wednesday

The Bonn branch of the "Querdenker"' Movement is planning two demonstrations this Wednesday. The first is to take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the platform in front of the Stadthaus. Unhindered access to the Stadthaus is guaranteed, the press office announced. A spokesman for the local group said on Tuesday that there would be protests against the planned amendment to the infection protection law.

"We will wear masks and keep our distance," assured the 36-year-old, who initially wanted to remain anonymous. At the same time, a counter-demonstration has been registered at Friedensplatz. The second counter-demonstration is to be a motorcade of 100 vehicles from 6 p.m. Contrary to the original plan, however, the drive is not to take the inner city ring road, but rather, on the advice of the police, to the Bundesviertel, according to the spokesperson. A closing rally of the car passengers is planned at the United Nations Square.

According to him, the Bonn "Querdenker" have about 370 members. About 70 of them had joined the nationwide network since last Saturday. Among the demonstrators at the market, according to the police there were about 450, including many activists from Bonn and the region, the 36-year-old reported. He himself had not been involved in the organisation. He wore a mask there and called on others to do the same.

Original text: Andreas Baumann

Translation: Mareike Graepel

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