IIn Leipzig there were serious clashes between left-wing autonomists and the police on Friday evening. In the Connewitz district, a high three-digit number of people had gathered in the evening and objects had been thrown at emergency services and police vehicles, said the Leipzig police department on Saturday morning.
Vehicles were damaged in the process. In addition, barricades were erected and set on fire in large parts of Connewitz and pyrotechnics were ignited. Most of the burning barricades were extinguished shortly after midnight, some with the help of water cannons. According to the police, “crimes continued to be committed” during the night. The police, in turn, used tear gas.
The police took stock of several injured officers in the morning. An officer had to be treated in the hospital. In addition, a media representative was attacked and injured by unknown persons.
There were three preliminary arrests by early morning. “Investigations into breach of the peace, dangerous bodily harm, assault on police officers, damage to property and a violation of the Explosives Act have been initiated,” the police said.
Autonomists throw stones at the police
Source: dpa/Sebastian Willnow
In social networks there had been a call from the left-wing scene for “mass corners”, i.e. for larger gatherings to show solidarity with the student Lina E. despite the ban on the so-called “Day X” demo on Saturday. The “Day X” was considered a reaction to that Judgment against the 28-year-old and three co-defendants because of attacks on supposed or actual neo-Nazis. In anticipation of impending riots, the police prepared a large-scale operation. Leipzig’s Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung (SPD) was concerned about security in the trade fair city.
The quartet around Lina E. was sentenced to several years in prison by the Dresden Higher Regional Court on Wednesday for assault and membership in or support of a criminal organization. Lina E., who had been in custody for two and a half years, was provisionally released after the verdict was pronounced – the court cited, among other things, an illness in the 28-year-old and a previous conviction as a result of media reports.
A left-wing autonomous demonstration planned for Saturday remains prohibited. The administrative court in Leipzig rejected an urgent application against the ban by the city late Friday afternoon. A complaint was lodged with the Saxon Higher Administrative Court in Bautzen in the evening, which was ultimately also rejected.
The city had banned the “Day X” demo with the motto “United we stand – despite everything, defend autonomous anti-fascism!” because there was a fear of a non-peaceful outcome. The basis for this were risk forecasts by the police and situation assessments by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. In left circles had been mobilized nationwide. Police said there were also threats of violence and calls for militancy.
The administrative court stated that there was a high probability that the meeting would not go peacefully. In this respect, the city’s risk forecast proves to be correct. In particular, it should be noted that the mobilization on the Internet, including the call for demonstrations, was also aimed at an autonomous left-wing extremist scene prepared to use violence.
Even though calls for violence have now been distanced and a peaceful demonstration has recently been called for, there is still a fear that acts of violence will be committed from the registered assembly. In addition, the registered number of participants of 400 to 500 does not seem remotely realistic – on the contrary, a much higher number of participants can be expected, according to the administrative court.
A so-called control area has been in effect in Leipzig since Friday at 6 p.m., which includes large parts of the city in the east, south and west. There, the police can stop people and check their personal details for no particular reason. The police had announced that arrival traffic on the streets and at the main train station should also be controlled. According to the police department in Leipzig, by numerous hundreds including technology from twelve federal states and supported by the federal police.
In addition to “Day X”, there are a number of other major events in Leipzig this weekend. It’s a city festival, singer Herbert Grönemeyer is giving a concert in front of tens of thousands of visitors, and on Saturday the football clubs Lok Leipzig and Chemnitzer FC are playing for the Saxony Cup. A cancellation of the game was considered, but ultimately rejected.
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