Heavy equipment against NPD

It is one thing that a road sweeping vehicle can charge five cubic meters of dirt and debris, and another that – measuring six meters in length and 2.4 in width – it takes up 14.4 square meters of space. In Neu-Ulm, a performance fair initiated by the city’s mayor stole the NPD’s limelight.

On August 30, 2013, four vehicles of that league, from snow plough to road sweeper, lead by a sewer rinsing vehicle, were exhibited in a so-called “performance fair of the municipal works depot“ at the town hall square. The fair was meant to counter the approved rally planned by NPD on the same day. The city mayor, Gerold Noerenberg (CSU), decided spontaneously on the performance fair of the municipal works depot’s vehicles. It was urgent to present the brand new sewer rinsing vehicle to the public, said Mr. Gerhard, leader of the works depot, after all people were entitled to know how public money was spent. In the case of a sudden onset of winter, the city was now well-equipped with the new snow plough. In the afternoon it became clear, that the NPD’s urgent petition was granted and they were allowed to hold their rally on the town hall square. The regional council’s argument that the town hall square was private property was dismissed, the police were to clear the square. The vehicles thus were moved a few meters away, which the police accepted.

At the same time, on the second central public square in Neu-Ulm, Petrusplatz, an alliance of all democratic fractions of the town hall with about 250 people gathered on the square. Until the police was able to move the mayor’s performance fair and NPD’s van finally reached the square after making its way though the city, there remained about 30 minutes of the time allotted to NPD’s rally.