Borussia Dortmund Files a Lawsuit Against AfD: Examination of Their Motives - Dortmund Initiates Legal Proceedings Against Alternative for Germany (AfD)
Borussia Dortmund Takes Legal Action Against AfD Over Election Campaign Sticker
Football club Borussia Dortmund (BVB) has announced that it is taking legal action against the far-right AfD party in North Rhine-Westphalia. The action comes in response to the AfD's use of BVB's black and yellow club colors in an election campaign sticker.
The sticker, which reads "Black and Yellow for Football – Blue on Sunday," uses Dortmund's iconic colors alongside the AfD’s blue, implying that Dortmund fans should vote for the AfD. BVB argues that this association contradicts the club's values and has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the AfD’s Dortmund district association and Bundestag member Matthias Helferich, who is running for the AfD in Dortmund's local elections.
"Our black and yellow colors are unique and internationally recognized," BVB stated in a press release. "We reject any attempt to connect the club or its supporters with the AfD's political stance."
The club has made it clear that it does not want to give the impression that football fans of BVB must vote for the AfD. BVB's decision to take legal action is a clear message that the two entities do not mix.
Matthias Helferich, who is known for his right-wing extremist views, has dismissed the legal threat, asserting that many Dortmund fans will still vote for the AfD despite the dispute.
The local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia are taking place on September 14, and the AfD is among the parties campaigning. The BVB's legal action aims to stop the AfD's use of their club colors for election advertising.
The "Ruhr Nachrichten" reported on BVB's decision to take legal action against the AfD. The club has announced that it will assert claims for injunctive relief against the AfD district association Dortmund. Additionally, a party exclusion procedure has been initiated against Matthias Helferich.
BVB finds the use of their club colors for election advertising by the AfD not well received. The club insists that football should remain a political-free zone and that it does not want its image to be exploited for political purposes.
This legal conflict emphasizes BVB’s position against being politically associated with the AfD's far-right ideology and their efforts to protect the club's image from political exploitation. If the AfD representatives do not agree to cease this usage, BVB intends to pursue further legal action.
- In EC countries, where the free movement of workers and the freedom to provide services are key principles, it is crucial for policies and legislation to ensure that sports teams' identities are not exploited for political gain, as witnessed in the ongoing legal dispute between Borussia Dortmund and the AfD party.
- Amid the general news of local elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, sports stories are taking an unexpected political turn, with Borussia Dortmund taking legal action against the AfD party for using the club's iconic colors in an election campaign sticker.
- In a world where football is followed passionately across Europe and beyond, it is disheartening to see political parties, such as the AfD, disregarding the freedom to provide services and the freedom to provide services in sports, by exploiting the ideals of a football club like Borussia Dortmund for political purposes.
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