Frankfurt must continue permitting twice-weekly protest prayers outside the closed Imam Ali Mosque after the Hessian Higher Administrative Court ruled that the gatherings are protected under Germany’s constitutional freedom of assembly.
The court held that the prayers—held every Thursday and Friday at noon in the Rödelheim district—amount to a “performative expression” of the message: “We want to use this mosque, but we are not allowed to.” Because the events serve a purpose of public communication, they qualify as assemblies under the Basic Law, even though they take the form of religious acts. The ruling means the city must tolerate related road closures and bus diversions through 2026.
