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SSudden lifts, protesters surrounded: In Leipzig, the police have deployed a large contingent to keep critics of Corona’s measures and counter-protesters away from each other. Hundreds of people gathered Saturday for a rally of opponents of Corona’s policy, which was later canceled on short notice. In the center of the city, the opposing camps met again and again, as the police announced on Twitter. Sometimes the situation was confusing.
“The approved meetings were peaceful and quiet. But then a dynamic situation developed in various places in the city center, ”said police spokesman Olaf Hoppe. That was a difficult situation for the police. However, in the evening, the situation had calmed down.
According to the police, there were also isolated attacks on the emergency services in the form of stones. A bottom line will likely only be possible on Sunday, the spokesman said. However, there were crimes, especially in the area of bodily injury.
As can be seen from video recordings by WELT reporter Martin Heller, the police fought to separate anti-fascist protesters, right-wing groups, and opponents of the crown measures. There was a fight. The police used irritating gas.
Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung spoke of a “cat and mouse game”. The SPD politician spoke of a completely different situation than the Leipzig “lateral thinking” demonstration two weeks ago, which had gotten out of hand, and a well-coordinated strategy between the police and the assembly authorities.
The rally announced by critics of Corona’s policy was surprisingly canceled in the afternoon, even though hundreds of people were already there. The leader of the rally meeting withdrew his registration after the assembly authorities had not accepted his “incomplete mask release certificate,” according to police. The police had previously cordoned off the access because the space had reached its maximum capacity with 500 people.
At the same time, there were major counter-protests. The action network “Leipzig takes place”, which had registered rallies in three central locations in the city, spoke with up to 4,000 participants during the day. Following the cancellation of the crown demonstration, various groups dispersed through the city center.
Police placed water cannons in position
The police were on duty with officials from various federal states, they had installed water cannons and cleaning tanks. In the afternoon, a police helicopter also flew over the city. Officials also used barriers.
In the early afternoon, there were spontaneous unauthorized meetings. According to the police spokesman, several hundred opponents of the crown policy took part in the market area and Große Fleischergasse, as well as on Windmühlenstraße. According to the police, the counter-protesters gathered in the adjacent streets. “Our colleagues separate these and avoid such a meeting,” police said on Twitter. After observing a DPA photographer, the police also used pepper spray.
Later, the police finally made the surrounded participants retreat to the train station in small groups: the masks were only used sporadically. In sight of the counter-protesters in the adjacent streets, the police finally paved the way, the police spokesman said. Left-wing MPs criticized Twitter for not determining his identity. The police spokesman said identity checks had been carried out.
“Very confusing situation”
According to a dpa reporter at the scene, a spontaneous anti-fascist demonstration with around 200 participants took place in the center of the city in the afternoon. Another meeting on the left field near the Thomaskirche was surrounded by police shortly after.
Police spokesman Hoppe spoke of a “very confusing” situation in the city at times. “An attempt was made from the autonomous stage to enter into a physical confrontation with the opponent,” he said. The other side tried to go through an elevator. There were crowds of people in various places. “However, no meeting was approved,” the spokesman said.
According to Lord Mayor Jung, there were also “travel movements” from Thuringia to the rally of opponents of the crown measures which was canceled. According to the politician, several right-wing extremists had gathered at the main train station, including thugs and supporters of comrades. Half of them left again. The Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution had already reported in advance that both the extreme right and left camps were mobilizing.
According to preliminary information from the police, two people were arrested on Saturday night in the vicinity of the demonstrations in Leipzig. In the city area, 18 crimes were also found during the operation, according to the Leipzig police department. It deals with bodily harm and breaches of the peace. Nine suspects have been identified. Police did not initially provide further information.
44 reprimands were issued and 113 announcements were made for violations of the Saxon Crown Protection Ordinance. According to the police, after an attack on a journalist, an ex officio complaint was filed against unknown persons. An officer was slightly injured during the operation.
Two weeks earlier, a “lateral thinking” rally in Leipzig had sparked anger and heated political debates. At least 20,000 people from all over Germany came to Leipzig to protest against the crown’s restrictions. Hardly anyone adhered to the mask requirement.
The city broke up the rally. After that, people were forced to cross the Leipziger ring. The police tried to arrest her but eventually let her go. The rally that was finally canceled this Saturday had not been recorded for “lateral thinking.”
Opponents of the crown measures took to the streets in several other German cities on Saturday. There were several hundred each in Hannover, Bochum, Göppingen and Pforzheim. More than 900 people participated in a “lateral thinking” demonstration in the capital of Lower Saxony, and more than 300 participated in opposition demonstrations. In the area of the “lateral thinker” demonstration, pyrotechnics were lit, presumably by opponents, but police officers kept the situation under control. In Berlin, several thousand opponents of the crown politics of the federal and state governments want to take to the streets again this Sunday.
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