The city of Dortmund has barred the Alternative for Germany (AfD) from using its coat of arms in the September 14th local elections, ordering the party to remove or obscure the symbol from its campaign posters. Officials warned they will seek an injunction at the Dortmund Regional Court if AfD does not comply.
The AfD objected, pointing out that the CDU used the coat of arms in its 2014 campaign and that the activist group Omas gegen Rechts (“Grandmas Against the Right”) displayed it before the last federal election. The city explained that those cases were tied either to project funding requirements—in the case of Omas gegen Rechts, whose taxpayer-funded stall was used to protest against the AfD—or to temporary permits issued to the CDU and Free Voters, which expired years ago.
Dortmund stressed that, as a rule, political parties and voter associations are not allowed to employ the city’s coat of arms in election campaigns. It cited Section 14(2) of the North Rhine-Westphalia Municipal Code and Section 12 of the German Civil Code, which make clear that the right to use coats of arms and flags lies solely with the municipality.
The AfD’s Dortmund branch said it would wait for the court’s first ruling before deciding whether to appeal.
