ed ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁€ 2 0 0 ▁million . ▁On ▁hearing ▁the ▁promise ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁Alliance ▁' 9 0 / The ▁Gre ens ▁candidate ▁Bor is ▁Pal mer ▁with d rew ▁his ▁candid acy ▁for ▁the ▁second ▁round ▁vote , ▁recomm ending ▁that ▁his ▁supp or ters ▁should ▁back ▁Sch uster ▁instead . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁a ▁pet ition ▁and ▁public ▁demonstr ations ▁were ▁started , ▁spons ored ▁by ▁private ▁individuals ▁with ▁the ▁backing ▁of ▁Alliance ▁' 9 0 / The ▁Gre ens ▁and ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁citizens ' ▁and ▁environmental ▁organis ations . ▁The ▁aim ▁was ▁to ▁collect ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁sign atures ▁and ▁thus ▁force ▁polit icians ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁issue ▁to ▁a ▁local ▁refer endum . ▁The ▁pet ition ▁gained ▁ 6 7 , 0 0 0 ▁sign atures ▁but ▁political ▁wr ang ling ▁began ▁over ▁whether ▁the ▁issue ▁could ▁be ▁decided ▁by ▁a ▁local ▁refer endum ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁place . ▁Leg al ▁exper ts ▁claimed ▁that , ▁as ▁the ▁project ▁was ▁not ▁being ▁fin anced ▁sole ly ▁from ▁Stuttgart ▁coff ers , ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁for ▁the ▁city ▁of ▁Stuttgart ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁final ▁decision . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 1 ▁October ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁about ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁citizens ▁of ▁Stuttgart ▁demonstrated ▁against ▁the ▁demol ition ▁of ▁the ▁Haupt bahn hof ' s ▁north ▁wing . ▁Since ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁there ▁have