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According to police reports, around 90 percent of the participants in the “lateral thinker” demonstration in Leipzig did not wear mouth and nose protection. After escalating protests against the crown’s measures, in the course of which protection against infection was massively neglected, calls for a political reassessment of events are now loud.
Federal Justice Minister Christine Lambrecht (SPD) has strongly condemned the riots and calls for consequences: “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 a massive risk, “Lambrecht said Sunday. This situation in the midst of the pandemic should not be repeated.
Thousands together without masks are a peak of irresponsibility and selfishness. “Every day people die from coronavirus. Anyone who denies this danger is opposed to the vast majority of our society adhering to the rules to protect themselves and everyone else,” Lambrecht said.
Also attacks on journalists
In Leipzig on Saturday, at least 20,000 people from across Germany protested against the federal government’s coronation measures. In fact, the city had wanted to move the demonstration to the outskirts to protect against infection. The administrative court in Leipzig had confirmed this, the OVG decided differently: it allowed a rally with 16,000 participants.
At first, the event was largely peaceful. Later, the city of Leipzig dissolved the protest because many people did not cover their mouths and noses and did not keep the minimum distance. But thousands resisted and marched through the ring in the center of the city. There were attacks on counter-protesters, security agents and journalists.
According to the journalists’ union DJU, at least 38 media representatives were prevented from doing their work, nine of them by police, the union said Sunday. Several journalists were physically attacked, some massively. “Compared to the anti-corona demonstrations in Berlin yesterday, we see a whole new dimension in terms of the scope of the violence,” said DJU President Tina Groll.
“Passivity strategy”
The police strategy was “passivity.” The officials had not fulfilled their task of enforcing freedom of the press and protecting journalists. “They were partially prevented from doing their work themselves,” Groll criticized.
The FDP and the Greens also called for a review of the escalating demonstration. The internal politics spokesman of the FDP parliamentary group, Konstantin Kuhle, criticized: “It cannot be that the rule of law is seeing journalists at work being attacked and most of the protesters clearly ignoring the conditions.”
Green Party leader Robert Habeck demanded that the events in Leipzig “urgently need critical clarification.” Freedom of assembly is a valuable asset, but the freedom of others and the functioning of the health system must also be protected. “Obviously the Interior Ministry and the Saxon police were not prepared for this task at the weekend and were therefore overwhelmed,” Habeck said on Sunday.
State ruling in Leipzig?
Before criticism of federal policy, representatives of state policy had already described the police operation as inappropriate on Saturday night. The regional left wing association even spoke of a “state failure” in a message. The Greens of Saxony criticized that the state security organs had lost “all confidence”.
Meanwhile, Leipzig Police Chief Torsten Schultze has defended the police action. The mission had three goals: to ensure a peaceful course, prevent possible acts of violence and enforce protection against infections, Schultze said in a video statement. The first two goals were largely achieved, the third was not.
The meeting was declared dissolved shortly before 4:00 pm due to violations of conditions. Indeed, the crowd stopped in the center of the city and asked to be allowed to pull the symbolic Leipziger Ring. There was a lot of pressure on the police barrier, Schultze said. The use of force “was not indicated”: “A pandemic is not fought with police means, but only with the common sense of the people.”
Also riots in Connewitz
While the police were busy with “side thinkers” protesters in the city center on Saturday, there were also riots in the Connewitz district of Leipzig: the rioters had stoned the Connewitz police station. The windows were damaged. They had only been exchanged recently after they had already been damaged on nights of riots in early September. Barricades were subsequently set on fire in several streets of Connewitz.
The police arrived with a large contingent. Water cannons came from Lower Saxony. For one thing, this put out the fires. On the other hand, the police made announcements threatening the use of water cannons if people on the street did not behave peacefully. Video recordings of the vehicles were also made. A helicopter flew over the neighborhood.
Police spokesman Olaf Hoppe said Sunday that police officers were injured by stone throwing. However, according to prior knowledge, none of the officials is incapacitated.
