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In Leipzig there were riots on Saturday for the third consecutive night. In the Connewitz district, a demonstration against gentrification and displacement turned into violence after a few hundred meters. “Immediately after the elevator started moving, the participants threw stones at police officers as well as buildings and fired fireworks,” said police spokeswoman Mandy Heimann. Due to the “unpleasant 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. Tram traffic stopped in the southern part of the city. A police helicopter flew over Connewitz. According to initial estimates by the police, around 500 people had gathered for the recorded demonstration. Heimann was initially unable to provide definitive figures. Initially, there was no information on possible injuries either.
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 “obviously 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 meeting participants,” Heimann said. “That he reappears today in this way also surprises us.”
