Gelsenkirchen city council removes AfD deputy mayor after racist 'cleaning video' controversy

The vote

The Gelsenkirchen city council voted 47 to 18 in a secret ballot to remove Norbert Emmerich (AfD) as second mayor. The motion was introduced by SPD, CDU, Greens and FDP and passed without debate. A city spokesperson confirmed the result, noting two AfD council members were absent. The four-party bloc held 37 seats, well short of the required 45-vote majority, but the final count exceeded the threshold.

With this removal, we are drawing the necessary political consequences and making it clear that we do not accept inhumane transgressions.

Background: the 'cleaning video'

Emmerich’s removal stems from an AfD campaign in which a female party member aggressively instructed residents of a district with a high migrant population to clean the street and pavement. The party filmed the interaction and published the footage on social media alongside complaints about dirt in the city. A broad alliance of citizens, including former mayor Frank Baranowski (SPD) and church leaders, denounced the action as demeaning and racist and demanded Emmerich step down from his representative role.

Political context

The AfD has 20 seats in the 66-member council. The three other parties had publicly supported Emmerich’s removal, but the secret ballot allowed members from other groups to break ranks. The final 47 votes suggest some AfD councillors may have crossed over or that independents joined the majority.

Citizens' alliance reaction

Frank Baranowski, Gelsenkirchen’s former lord mayor and a leading voice in the protest group, had originally called for Emmerich to resign. After the vote, the citizens' alliance welcomed the decision, framing it as a rejection of racist mobilisation in the city’s official ranks. Emmerich has not yet commented on the outcome.