[ad_1]
Many thousands of “lateral thinkers” are demonstrating in the middle of the pandemic in Leipzig. A debate breaks out over police tactics. Interior Minister Horst Seehofer is now warning against hasty criticism.
Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) warned against hasty criticism of the police after massive rule violations at the Leipzig Crown rally and also called the courts to duty. “We must stop questioning police tactics in hindsight without knowledge of the details and without a complete picture via remote diagnosis. All involved, assembly authorities, police and courts must make responsible decisions in light of the current situation. contagion, “he said on Sunday night in a communication from his ministry.
“The right of assembly must be guaranteed, especially in times of crisis. But the rules of the assembly authorities must be observed and followed,” Seehofer said. He added: “The police have my full backing.”
At the “lateral thinking” demonstration in Leipzig with tens of thousands of participants on Saturday, according to the police, there were massive violations of hygiene requirements. It dissolved after two and a half hours. The protesters then marched through the ring of the city center, although they were prohibited from doing so, without being prevented by the police. The city administration wanted to move the rally to the outskirts, but failed in the Higher Administrative Court.
Police are accused of failure by various politicians
Numerous politicians accused the Leipzig police and the Saxon interior minister of failure on Sunday. Saxony Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) found clear words. Nobody in the Saxon government and the majority of the people in Germany understand this type of demonstration, “out of recklessness and arrogance at a time when an open look shows the dangers of the virus.” At the same time he announced a prosecution of the facts.
Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) spoke of a fatal sign. “I find it incomprehensible that in the midst of a worsening corona pandemic, a meeting of more than 16,000 participants in the center of Leipzig could be approved. The organizers and participants have made it clear in advance that they do not wear masks and do not keep a distance. minimal wish. ” With such a number of participants, effective control by the police is impossible. The violent dissolution of a peaceful demonstration was not a problem.
The Bautzen Higher Administrative Court (OVG) had only allowed the demonstration in the city center on Saturday morning, limited to 16,000 participants. The city had wanted to move the rally to a large fairground car park on the outskirts of the city to protect itself against infection, the Administrative Court of Leipzig had initially confirmed. OVG’s justification for approval is still pending.
Thousands of people participated in the demonstration of “lateral thinking” in Leipzig. Photo: Sebastian Kahnert / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa.
Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) called for a “thorough investigation”. “What we saw yesterday in Leipzig cannot be justified by anything. The freedom to demonstrate is not the freedom to use violence and put others at massive risk,” Lambrecht declared. This situation in the midst of the pandemic should not be repeated. Thousands together without masks are a peak of irresponsibility and selfishness.
The left, the Greens and the SPD in Saxony demanded a prosecution of the facts at a special meeting of the interior committee. “An obvious planning disaster has caused the state of Leipzig to capitulate to the enemies of democracy and is unable to enforce the right to assembly or effectively counter attacks on protests, journalists and the police,” the policy spokesman said. national of the green parliamentary group Valentin Lippmann. . The left spoke of “state failure.”
The president of the conference of interior ministers, Georg Maier (SPD), criticized the court’s decision: “That would not have been necessary,” said the ARD Thuringian minister. He called on the police to act more consistently against rule violations: “We must prepare for the future to intervene much more consistently, much harsher and earlier in such meetings.”
Police chief defends himself
Leipzig Police Chief Torsten Schultze defended the actions of the police. You had three goals: to ensure a peaceful course, the prevention of acts of violence and the application of protection against infections, he said in a video statement. The first two goals were largely achieved, the third was not. “A pandemic is not fought with police means, but only with the common sense of the people.”
Police spoke of 20,000 people at Augustusplatz on Saturday, and the “Counted Up” initiative estimated the total number of participants at 45,000. At first, the demonstration was largely peaceful. Due to the violation of the requirements, the city of Leipzig dissolved the meeting shortly before 4 pm
In fact, people just stopped, only a few left the city center as instructed. The crowd demanded to cross the ring, the site of the demonstrations on Monday in 1989. At around 6:00 pm, the police released thousands of people. Police spokesman Olaf Hoppe explained that the crowd could only have been held back through the use of massive force.
As the “side thinkers” crossed the ring, strangers attacked the police in Leipzig-Connewitz. Stones were thrown against the windows of a police station. Barricades were subsequently set on fire. The police advanced with water cannons and numerous forces. On Friday night, masked people had attacked police in the district that was seen as an alternative to the left.
Leipzig police recorded 102 crimes with 89 suspects for all operations on Sunday, including attacks on law enforcement officers, bodily injury and property damage. There have been 13 preliminary arrests and 18 detentions. In addition, 140 administrative offenses were registered.
