Court overturns requirements for Jamel rocks the forester” – district outraged!

Court overturns requirements for Jamel rocks the forester” – district outraged!

Things are simmering in the Northwest Mecklenburg district: On July 24, 2025, there was excitement surrounding the popular “Jamel rocks the forester” festival. The Schwerin Administrative Court decided in an urgent procedure that the festival could take place, overturning the alcohol ban that the district had previously imposed. There is dissatisfaction among the decision-makers about the court's quick processing of the urgent application. District Administrator Tino Schomann expressed surprise at the approach and the fact that the court simply ignored an extensive written submission from the administration. “Something is wrong,” says Schomann, who insists on meeting basic requirements for public safety.

Schomann considers the lifting of the preventative requirements, including the alcohol ban and the ban on glass bottles, to be irresponsible. The administrative court did not see sufficient evidence of possible dangers from serving alcohol and noted that the festival had been peaceful in recent years. Nevertheless, the district fears that this decision could endanger public safety and plans to lodge a complaint with the Greifswald Higher Administrative Court in order to create legal clarity. According to the district, the assessment of the urgency and complexity of the situation was not sufficiently taken into account.

The festival and its meaning

“Jamel rocks the forester” has been taking place in the community of Jamel since 2007 and has established itself as a strong signal against right-wing extremism. The organizers are the artist couple Birgit and Horst Lohmeyer in collaboration with the association “Together for Peace and Solidarity”, IG Metall and the DGB Nord. This year they initially registered the festival as a political meeting in order to avoid rental fees, which the municipality of Gägelow wanted to charge 8,000 euros. However, the district questioned whether serving alcohol was in keeping with the nature of a political meeting.

But the court didn't leave the organizers out in the cold here either. It found that the district's requirements, including the alcohol ban, were disproportionate and rejected them. Now visitors to Jamel can expect beer stands again and without stricter requirements.

Politics and legal disputes

The administrative court's decision is not only met with incomprehension by the district. Schomann also demands clarification from Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig in order to restore trust in the rule of law. The district is also examining a complaint in order to strengthen its own position in this legal wrangling. “We would like to make it clear that public safety concerns must always be in the foreground,” were the district administrator’s clear words.

The debate over the festival shows once again how important it is to appropriately assess arguments and danger forecasts. Citizens in the Northwest Mecklenburg district are now eagerly awaiting further developments and hope that their safety concerns will be taken seriously.

For anyone who would like to find out more about the situation, further details can be found here wismar.fm as well as on ndr.de.