Last weekend, the district mayor of Mitte, Stephan von Dassel (Green Party), had already announced an alcohol ban. The district sees the recreational function and the ecological value of the parks becoming limited by the fact that groups meet there to drink in excess: "The vegetation is damaged, especially by wild urination, the park is heavily littered in the morning, broken glass makes it dangerous to use the lawns, and there is massive noise pollution at night." District officials base the alcohol ban on the Berlin Green Spaces Act.