Anyone attending public city council meetings must not disrupt them by expressing private opinions. A member of the public wearing a jumper with the clearly recognisable lettering „FCK AfD“ was therefore entitled to be removed from the chamber, the Hanover Administrative Court (VG) has now ruled in summary proceedings (Ref.: 1 B 6273/26, order of 2 November 2026). The court found that the chair of the council had exercised his right to manage the premises in a lawful manner.

In the court’s view, the request to take off the jumper, cover it up or simply leave the chamber does not constitute an impermissible infringement of freedom of expression. City council meetings are not a forum for expressing and disseminating private opinions. Rather, the aim of the meeting is to bring together divergent views, without disruption, through discussion and orderly voting, in order to reach a unified municipal decision.