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In the center of Leipzig, numerous people gathered again on Saturday to protest against the crown policy of the federal government. At the same time, several counter-protests were formed.
According to preliminary information from the police, two people were arrested on Saturday night in the vicinity of the demonstrations. 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.
The action network “Leipzig takes a seat” called for a protest and has recorded demonstrations in three central locations in the city. At Kurt-Masur-Platz, opponents of Corona’s policy had recorded the meeting “Life after Corona” with 500 participants. First, the police said that this approved number was reached around 3 p.m. in the afternoon.
Soon after, all who wished to attend the meeting were asked to leave the area in peace. Because: The registration was withdrawn by the chairman of the meeting. The reason: The meeting registrant had submitted an incomplete certificate for the mask exemption, which was not accepted by the mounting authorities.
After the cancellation, the situation in Leipzig was confusing, in the city center, the opposing camps kept colliding, as the police announced on Twitter in the afternoon. “Our emergency services separate groups of people,” he said. According to the information, there were also attacks on police forces.
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Shortly after the cancellation of one of the demonstrations, two unauthorized spontaneous assemblies were formed in the city center. The police asked people to leave the respective areas, otherwise they would be forced to determine their personal details. According to the police, there were still two protest camps clashed in the Große Fleischergasse area at 6 pm The police tried to stop the confrontation.
According to a dpa reporter at the scene, a spontaneous anti-fascist demonstration with around 200 participants took place in the city center in the afternoon. Another meeting on the left field near the Thomaskirche was surrounded by police shortly after.
Leipzig Mayor Burkhard Jung spoke of a “cat and mouse game”. There is a tense situation that the police have well controlled, said the SPD politician. “We have a chance for him to remain calm.”
Jung asked the people to remain in peace. He also assessed the cancellation of the planned demonstration by opponents of the Crown measures as a success for the counter-protesters. “One can be rightly proud that more than 1,000 people demonstrated peacefully, remotely and with respiratory protection,” he said.
According to Jung, there were also “travel movements” from Thuringia to the rally which was canceled. According to the politician, several right-wing extremists had gathered at the main train station, including hooligans and supporters of comrades. Half of them left again. After observing a dpa reporter on the scene, a spontaneous anti-fascist demonstration with around 200 participants also took place in the city center in the afternoon.
Police expected a four-digit total of participants on Saturday. “But that is difficult to assess, it is very uncertain what is coming,” said the police spokesman. Between 12 and 8 pm, individual traffic was not allowed around Kurt-Masur-Platz, the Saxon police said.
The police deployed with a large contingent from various federal states, brought water cannons and cleaning tanks to their position near the demonstration. Agents also used barriers to separate the meetings from each other. The situation is not easy, said a police spokesman.
From 8 am, the city center was considered a control area, as a police spokesman said. There you can perform spontaneous personal checks until the evening. The German Association of Journalists in Saxony welcomed on social media that journalists can take advantage of police protection following the recent attacks on the site.
A total of eight meetings were announced Saturday at various venues in the fair town, five of which were related to criticism of current Corona policy and counter-protests.
Two weeks ago, protests escalated in Leipzig
Currently, due to the crown situation, only a maximum of 1000 participants per rally is allowed in Saxony. In the afternoon, the police and the city again expressly indicated that the hygiene regulations in the sense of the Crown Protection Ordinance were observed. Because of this, meetings are only allowed on a stationary basis and not as an elevator.
According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony, the mobilization took place in the run-up to the demonstrations in the far-right and left-wing camps. The city and the police had announced that they would constantly punish any violation of Corona’s rules. Two weeks ago, during a “lateral thinking” demonstration in Leipzig, there were massive violations of the mask requirement and violent clashes. Recorded demonstrations against the crown’s requirements were also held in Berlin, Bochum, Göppingen, Pforzheim, and Hannover on Saturday. (Tsp, dpa)
