The Administrative Court in Frankfurt has today (14 May) confirmed the general Blockupy-ban issued by Frankfurt’s public order councillor Markus Frank. Likewise, the Occupy camp in Willy-Brandt Platz may also be ‘temporarily’ cleared away. The court did provide for the possibility of permitting an anti-capitalism demonstration this Saturday subject to certain conditions set by the authorities. Given the city governors complete intransigence in negotiations, these conditions are likely to echo the old English ballad Scarborough Fair (be impossible).
As the judgment was released, around 700 demonstrators filed before the Town Hall on the Roemer Berg in protest against the astonishing attempt to ban all protest in Frankfurt am Main during 16-19 May, and the parallel banning of almost 500 named individuals from inner Frankfurt during the same time. The demonstration was supported by solidarity protests in among other places Stuttgart, Bochum, Marburg, Zagreb and Athens.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that international currency traders have been configuring their systems to handle drachmas. The UK ITN News is reporting that if there is enough interest in a notional Ecu-style shadow currency, market participants could be trading in a grey market in drachmas within days. This sign that the markets have decided Greece will leave the Eurozone will undoubtedly put pressure on Greek banks, whose depositers (including government members!) have already been withdrawing and emigrating funds in the last months.