German police have rented a petrol station close to the site of a neo-Nazi festival starting Friday, July 5, blocking the far-right revelers from easy access to alcohol supplies.
The unusual move by law enforcers at the town of Themar came after residents in another eastern town, Ostritz, bought up the beer stock at local supermarkets ahead of a neo-Nazi festival, leaving concert-goers there thirsty.
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“The petrol station is the police headquarters and not accessible to neo-Nazis wanting to purchase drinks,” said Thueringen state’s interior minister Georg Maier, according to remarks carried by German regional media.
The deputy police chief in the state, Thomas Quittenbaum, confirmed that the police’s main command and logistics control will be stationed at the petrol kiosk.
Those seeking to bring their own beer to the venue would also fall foul of an alcohol ban for Saturday, July 6. On Friday, only light beer with an alcohol content of 2.7% will be allowed.
In previous years, the petrol station had seen a steady stream of business from festival-goers.
In June, residents at Ostritz sent a signal to concert-goers at the neo-Nazi festival close to the Polish and Czech borders, by emptying the beer shelves at local supermarkets.
Like at Themar, an alcohol ban was in place for the Ostritz festival, with police seizing 4,200 liters of beer. RGA
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