Soccer-World-German court clears far-right march

— -- BERLIN, June 9 - Germany's constitutional court said on Friday that a far-right party could march through the World Cup host city of Gelsenkirchen on Saturday, lifting an earlier ban on the event. The court had granted the National Democratic Party (NPD) an emergency ruling, a spokeswoman told Reuters, allowing the group to march through the western German town the day after Ecuador faces Poland in the city's new stadium. "They can demonstrate," she said, adding that the court would give the reasons for its decision only next week. On Thursday, a state court in North-Rhine Westphalia had banned the event, arguing the that the march would pose "an immediate threat to public security". Germany's government has tried unsuccessfully to ban the NPD five years ago and police officials have accused the party of trying to vilify dark-skinned players in a nationwide campaign during the World Cup. An NPD spokesman said the decision had come as a suprise. The NPD is also planning marches in the host cities Frankfurt and Munich during the World Cup, which kicks off on Friday and ends with the final on July 9 in Berlin.