Authorities in the northern city of Bremen banned a pro-Iranian organization on Saturday from holding a public referendum on whether Israel was an illegal state. The group, called "The Feather," published on its website that unlike other municipalities, the municipality in Bremen "did not allow us to show or vote on the slogan 'Israel is illegal.'" Last year, the group conducted public surveys on Israel's right to exist in the cities of Dalmenhurst and Hanover, in Lower Saxony. The group was founded in 2007. On its website is a picture of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei, describing its members as "supporters of the Islamic revolution." The German-Israeli Friendship Association, known as DIG, held a protest against eight activists from "The Feather". DIG praised the authorities in Bremen for their decision to prevent the referendum and to "learn that the continuation of the organization's activities ... under the guise of freedom of expression, calls for the destruction of Israel." The Wasser-Korir newspaper reported that 50 people from DIG, in cooperation with local politicians, demonstrated with Israeli flags against "Feather". Vido Wittkdent, the DIG representative, said the "Feather" incident was "nothing more than sedition and violence."
