Clash between Campino and Landrat over a Music Festival in Jamel, centered on political rights

News Article: Controversy Surrounds "Jamel Rocks the Förster" Music Festival in Nordwestmecklenburg

The "Jamel rocks the Förster" music festival, held in Nordwestmecklenburg, Germany, was once again the centre of attention this year, not for its lineup of popular acts like Die Toten Hosen and Kraftklub, but for a series of disputes leading up to the event.

The controversies revolved around fees and an alcohol ban demanded by the district, which was later overturned by the Higher Administrative Court. Tino Schomann, the CDU district administrator of Nordwestmecklenburg, found himself at the heart of the controversy. He defended the enforcement of regulations, stating that the festival was registered as a political gathering for the first time, bringing the assembly law into effect.

However, frontman of Die Toten Hosen, Campino, criticized Schomann for attempting to enforce certain regulations. Campino stated before his performance that there seems to be a general victory euphoria in AfD and far-right circles at the moment, and the festival, which stands up against right-wing extremist harassment in the village, should not be subjected to such bureaucratic hurdles.

The CDU state leadership criticized Campino's comments, stating that they were unacceptable public, value-based political criticism of a district on an official government channel. The Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state representation in Berlin posted on Instagram about the festival association going to court against new bureaucratic regulations from the Nordwestmecklenburg district.

Despite the controversies, the festival proceeded peacefully as expected. Approximately 3,500 people demonstrated against right-wing extremism at the festival, joining other acts like Paula Hartmann, Betterov, Dota, and Hinterlandgang on the stage.

In a positive note, ASV Hamm-Westfalen started the new season with a derby win, adding a sporting triumph to the cultural event. The festival, which has been organised by Birgit and Horst Lohmeyer since 2007, has become a beacon of resistance against right-wing extremism in the region.

The latest edition of the festival was preceded by several court decisions, with the Higher Administrative Court overturning the alcohol ban. The festival's organisers, who have faced challenges in the past, including an arson attack on one of their barns in 2015, remain undeterred in their mission to promote peace and unity through music.