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meViolent riots broke out in Leipzig on Saturday night for the third time in a row. In the Connewitz district, a demonstration against gentrification and displacement spiraled out of control after a few hundred meters. Gentrification and displacement spiral out of control after a few hundred meters. “Immediately after the elevator began to move, the participants threw rocks at police officers and buildings and fired fireworks,” said police spokeswoman Mandy Heimann. Due to the “unrest situation”, the meeting was declared dissolved.
Later there were hunting scenes in side streets between masked people and the emergency services. Several people were arrested. 15 people are being investigated. Two policemen were injured during the operation. Tram traffic stopped in the southern part of the city. A police helicopter flew over Connewitz. Its pilot was repeatedly blinded with a laser. A patrol car burned down on the police premises.
According to initial estimates by the police, around 500 people had gathered for the recorded demonstration. Heimann was initially unable to provide definitive figures. About 150 people remained in the area after midnight. They sprayed graffiti on a streetcar, built street barricades and set fire to garbage cans. Police were unable to say anything about the amount of damage early Sunday morning.
There had already been outbreaks of violence in Leipzig on Thursday and Friday nights. This was preceded by the squat that had been canceled by the police. Police have come under fire since unannounced demonstrations in eastern Leipzig and in Connewitz. Leipzig Police Chief Torsten Schultze said the attackers were “apparently left-wing extremists.” A total of nine officers were slightly injured during the two days.
On Saturday night, the police were in action with large numbers. Several hundred riot police were supported by Thuringian forces and the federal police. Following the escalations of the previous days, the police had expressed their concern in advance. “Of course, we also hoped today that the meeting would be peaceful and that we would engage in a communicative conversation with the participants,” Heimann said. “The fact that he reappears today in this way also surprises us.”
