Police clash with demonstrators in Leipzig, Germany. Photo: Robert Michael/DPA. imprisonment for participating in attacks on neo-Nazis and other extremists during clashes with police in the eastern German city of Leipzig over the weekend, in which 50 officers and several protesters were injured.
Scheduled demonstration among supporters on Saturday Lina E., whose full name has not been released due to privacy regulations, has been banned by the city of Leipzig. The police said that, despite the ban, about 1,500 protesters came to the demonstration.
What began as a largely peaceful rally eventually led to clashes between protesters and police, with some demonstrators throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks as police attempted to clear certain areas of the city. On Sunday, Leipzig police chief René Demmler said 50 officers and an unknown number of protesters were injured.
According to the German news agency dpa, the authorities are currently investigating those responsible for the serious disorderly conduct and attacks on police officers. About 30 people were arrested, Mr. Demmler added, and another 40 to 50 were detained but were released by Sunday afternoon.
In a statement released on Sunday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faezer condemned some protesters. ' violent actions and wished a speedy recovery to the injured officers.
“Nothing justifies the senseless violence of left-wing extremist chaos and rioters,” she said. «Anyone who throws rocks, bottles or incendiary devices at police officers must be held accountable.»
Elsewhere, some politicians have criticized the police's approach to protesters as being overly aggressive.
Albrecht Pallas, a centre-left Social Democracy politician in Saxony's regional legislature, criticized the «provocative approach» of the police. He told the dpa that the massive police presence and the police response to smaller scuffles «has escalated, mostly involving bystanders.»
The protests were in response to the decision to find Lina E. guilty of membership. in a criminal organization and causing grievous bodily harm. On Wednesday, the Dresden State Court sentenced her to five years and three months in prison.
A few hours later, the court reported that she had been released under unspecified conditions after serving about two and a half years. in custody pending sentencing.
The prosecutor's office accused the student of «militant far-left ideology» and plotting attacks on the far right in Leipzig and nearby cities. By the end of 2019, three men were said to have joined her. A court in Dresden sentenced them to between 27 and 39 months in prison.
This weekend's protests in Leipzig followed similar demonstrations there and in other cities. Germany, including Berlin, Bremen and Hamburg, in the days following the verdict.
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