Published
Thu, Apr 19, 2018, 14:28
- The initial motion, made by non-party politician Sibylle Schmidt, also called for earlier closing times and brighter lighting at the Berlin club.
Germany's leading far-right party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), has withdrawn a proposal calling for Berghain's commercial license to be revoked.
Sibylle Schmidt, a non-party councillor who sits for the AfD in Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, was behind the initial request, which presented a letter with a number of restrictive measures. These items include reducing closing times from 10 PM to 6 AM and installing "better lighting and staff to prevent sexual acts," according to Berliner Morgenpost. The letter was publicised on Twitter yesterday afternoon by left-wing district councillor Maximilian Schirmer, sparking users to fire back at Schmidt's comments.
In response, Frank-Christian Hansel, a founding member of Berlin AfD, confirmed earlier today that the proposal had been withdrawn. He tweeted that Schmidt was "party-free" and her request was "neither the line of AfD Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg, nor the Berlin AfD." According to Berliner Morgenpost, Ronald Gläser, another Berlin-based AfD politician, said that "AfD was not a prohibition party."
Launched in 2013, Alternative für Deutschland has been gaining ground in recent years, becoming Germany's third biggest party after last year's general election. It is widely known for its fierce anti-immigration and anti-Islamist views.