Administrative Court Temporarily Halts Nightly Closure of Görlitzer Park

The Plaintiffs' Arguments

The plaintiffs further contend that there are no concrete figures for the police's classification of the park as a crime-ridden area. The nightly closure affects not only criminals but all residents. Moreover, the measure is ineffective because criminal activity merely shifts. According to the lawsuit, residents report that since the park closure, homeless people are sleeping in neighboring apartment buildings and drug addicts are consuming substances in stairwells.

David Werdermann, who represents the plaintiffs, explained that the lawsuit is based on four central points. A court spokesperson confirmed a corresponding announcement from the initiative 'Görli zaunfrei'.

District Failed with Its Own Preliminary Proceedings

Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg also opposes the park closure and has legally challenged the Senate's intervention. However, the district was unsuccessful in its own preliminary proceedings. The judges ruled at the time that the district had 'no right of defense' against the Senate's intervention, as it is not an independent municipality but carries out tasks as a subordinate part of the unified municipality of Berlin. The Administrative Court has not yet ruled on the district's lawsuit in the main proceedings.

The decision in the preliminary proceedings is not final. A final decision is to be made later in the main proceedings. The Senate Department can lodge a complaint against the ruling with the Higher Administrative Court of Berlin-Brandenburg.

What Happens Next

An exception to the nightly closure had already been made on May 1st. A scientific study is planned after the summer to investigate the effects of the closure.

The initiative 'Görli zaunfrei' announced that it would celebrate the success in the preliminary proceedings with a party in the park on Monday evening. Their website stated: "Tonight party in Görli, 8 PM in the Kuhle!" The initiative posted online: "We won in administrative court. Tonight party in Görli, 8 PM in the Kuhle!"