A German regional court on Friday ruled against a ban imposed by local authorities on public gatherings in the eastern town of Heidenau, which was recently hit by far-right protests, calling it "clearly illegal".

The regional authorities of Saxony had justified the ban claiming that a shortage of police officers meant that public safety could not be guaranteed. But the court ruled that was not a valid reason as "police forces from other states and from the federation could be made available".