Leipzig is experiencing another turbulent Saturday: after the lateral thinking demo was canceled, the police separated demonstrators and counter-demonstrators – the situation is confusing.
- On November 7th, one escalated Demonstration the Corona opponent in Leipzig.
- After that tightened Saxony the demonstration rules – now only 1000 people are allowed at individual gatherings.
- The police got in for the demos on Saturday Leipzig already planned water cannons and cavalry squadrons as a precaution.
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Update from November 22nd, 7:20 p.m .: Not just in Leipzig are on the weekend Crown-Protests organized – thousands of people took to the streets in German cities. However, some of them also occurred hundreds of counter-demonstrators counter to which about a widely heralded “silent march” Berlin accompanied with blockages and other disruptive actions.
The Berlin police put the number of participants in the so-called Silent march from Prenzlauer Berg to the centrally located Alexanderplatz with around 1000. Five times as many were registered. According to the police, most of the demonstrators were wearing mouth and nose protection, in isolated cases Criminal charges for allegedly falsified medical certificates given as an exemption from the mask requirement. The march into the city center was accompanied by protests by hundreds of counter-demonstrators, some from the left.
Mostly peaceful demonstrations took place over the weekend in many other cities, for example in Frankfurt, Hanover, Stuttgart, Pforzheim, Bochum and Cottbus. Some of these were from supporters of the controversial initiative “Lateral thinking” that has been organizing protests against the current policy to contain the pandemic for weeks. A video of an extremely questionable speech in Hanover went viral online – there a young woman had compared herself to the resistance fighter Sophie Scholl, who was killed by the National Socialists. A demonstration steward then publicly gave up his post.
Corona demo in Leipzig canceled: Police name the number of criminal offenses – woman threatened with a firearm from the window
Update from November 22nd, 4:42 p.m .: In connection with the demonstrations by critics of the corona measures and counter-protests on Saturday in Leipzig, the Number of known crimes to a total of 23 gone up. Among other things, the police said on Sunday that threats, dangerous bodily harm, damage to five company vehicles, robbery and insults are being investigated. In a preliminary balance on Saturday evening, there were initially 18 crimes. Overall were 1600 police officers from 6 federal states as well as the federal police in action.
In addition, the police reported on Sunday of two further investigations in connection with the demonstrations: A group of people is said to be early on Saturday evening Threatened with a gun from an apartment window have been. During a subsequent apartment search, an airsoft gun was found and a suspect was found.
Furthermore, at the level of the courtyards on the Brühl, an “unmanageable crowd” should emerge several times on the head of a person lying on the ground have been kicked. A police officer fired a warning shot in the air as part of the emergency aid, it said. The suspects were able to escape. The victim was taken to hospital with minor injuries. The police did not provide any further information with reference to the ongoing investigation.
Update from November 21, 10:07 p.m.: Meanwhile the Police in Leipzig the encircled Protesters let peel off in groups. Left MPs criticized the fact that there was no identity verification – the police reject this.
A final conclusion will probably only be possible on Sunday. For Saturday evening, it is only clear that there have been some arrests – including arrests for assault. Next “Lateral thinkers” and counter-demonstrators with peaceful intentions, neo-Nazi groups and people from the autonomous block are said to have been there again.
Demonstration in Leipzig: lateral thinkers surrounded by the police – the mayor wants to prevent violent clashes
Update from November 21, 7:52 p.m .: Both the police and the mayor (SPD) have spoken out from Leipzig. Protesters had previously been surrounded by police so that they could only move in small groups towards public transport. From the circles of the demonstrators diatribes against the police are said to have been chanted – presumably from both camps of the demonstrators.
“Our goal now must be to prevent violent clashes,” said a police spokesman on the current situation. Leipzig’s Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung spoke of a “cat and mouse game”. There is a tense situation that the police have well under control, said the SPD politician. “We have the chance that it will stay calm.” The police had brought water cannons and clearing tanks into position and are still on the move with a large number of people in the city. After a demonstration two weeks ago, criticism had risen that the police had done too little to prevent violations of corona requirements.
Lateral thinking demo in Leipzig: Rejection after an invalid mask certificate from the organizers
Update from November 21, 5:51 p.m.: The Lateral thinking demo in Leipzig is canceled. The registration for the demonstration on Kurt-Masur-Platz has been withdrawn, according to the police in Leipzig. According to the city of Leipzig, it had previously been said that the organizer’s mask exemption certificate was not valid.
#le2111 Demo on Masur-Pl. cannot start because the applicant’s mask exemption certificate is incomplete and cannot be accepted.
– City of Leipzig (@StadtLeipzig) November 21, 2020
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Nevertheless, the situation on site is confusing because many participants have already been there. Hundreds of counter-demonstrators had already gathered in the afternoon – also under the motto: “Leipzig take a seat.” Before the start of the lateral thinker demo, they had formed a human chain on Augustusplatz and held up the words: “Leipzig thinks for itself. Leipzig needs no lateral thinkers.”
Cool action on Augustusplatz. “Leipzig thinks for itself” #Leipzig #le2111 pic.twitter.com/gQwkPsddHW
— Irena Rudolph-Kokot (@IrenaKOKOT) November 21, 2020
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after the police the participants of all Demonstrations had asked to leave the square, they evidently marched through the city in small and large groups. The representatives of different camps clashed and had to be separated from the police.
Current situation report:
➡ In the Große Fleischergasse area there are still two protest camps facing each other. Our colleagues separate them & prevent such a meeting.#Leipzig #le2111– Police Saxony (@PolizeiSachsen) November 21, 2020
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Because there had been attacks on media representatives last weekend, the police had announced for this Saturday that journalists could be protected by police officers.
Lateral thinking demo announced in Leipzig – again large numbers of police in action
Update from November 21, 1:47 p.m.: Just recently had one “Lateral thinking”-Demo in Leipzig for trouble and violent political debates taken care of – this Saturday the police were out again with a large contingent in the city. Several hundred people gathered in the city center at noon to oppose a rally by Opponents of the corona policy to protest.
The rally had registered the action network “Leipzig takes a seat”. The cops brought water cannon and clearing armor in the vicinity of the demonstration, and the officers set Barrier one to separate the congregations. The situation is not easy, said a police spokesman. Currently there are only a maximum in Saxony due to the pandemic 1000 participants allowed per rally.
Corona demo Leipzig: Corona opponents mobilize again – extremists and hooligans expected
Participants in the demonstration of the “lateral thinking” initiative stand on the street with German flags.
© Sebastian Willnow / dpa-Zentralbild / dpa
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First report from November 21st: Leipzig – On Saturday will Leipzig once again be the scene of several rallies around Corona and the associated politics in Germany. Organizer of a protest by opponents of the current measures is not this time “Think outside the box” movement, but someone from their environment. The demonstrators are supposed to gather at 1 p.m. on Kurt-Masur-Platz behind the Gewandhaus – near the university, fairly close to the city center. Your motto: “Life after Corona”.
The police have announced the demo Saturday in Leipzig with a Large contingent to accompany. For this she receives support from Baden-Württemberg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bremen, Brandenburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Saxony-Anhalt and the federal police. The city and the police have announced that this time they will consistently punish any violations of the corona rules. Depending on the development will be a Police helicopter circling over the city. water cannon and an equestrian relay are also available. Spray from water cannons was only used on Wednesday during demonstrations in Berlin against the new Corona Infection Protection Act.
Corona demo in Leipzig: the protection of the Constitution also expects violent groups
The protest assembly against the Corona measures should be loud police be delimited with bars, access is controlled. In Saxony, meetings with a maximum of 1000 participants are currently only permitted. The police announced that their focus would be on “separating peaceful and unpeaceful participants” in the various gatherings. The defense of Constitution has loud dpa reports that both right-wing extremist and left-wing extremist camps are being mobilized for Leipzig. Even citizens of the Reich and groups prepared to use violence such as Hooligans could come to town. Overall, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution expects one „Protestgeschehen heterogenes“.
Protest against opponents of the current measures comes from the action network, among others “Leipzig takes a seat”, which calls for three rallies in central squares of the city. In addition, according to the city, four other meetings are registered.
???????????? PLAN CHANGE: The oath Nazis will come Saturday at 1 p.m., so that we can greet them with our loud counter-protest, we will start earlier: 12:30 p.m. @Augustusplatz (Gewandhaus side) #SwurbLE #le2111 ???????????? Think of MNS & 1.5m distances!
– Leipzig takes a seat (@ take a seat) November 19, 2020
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Corona demo in Leipzig: At the beginning of the month, “lateral thinking” mobilized 20,000 participants
Two weeks ago on November 7th, the last big corona demo took place in Leipzig, the escalation of which sparked a lot of discussion and criticism. At the event of the initiative “Lateral thinking” Around 20,000 participants appeared – distance and mask rules were not adhered to in many places, there were scuffles, pyrotechnics flew through the air. In response, the Saxon government tightened the rules for meetings.
Also in numerous other German cities mobilize opponents of corona requirements and counter-demonstrators for Saturday. In Bochum, the initiative “lateral thinking 234 Bochum” has registered 1000 participants. Among other things, a speech by “lateral thinking” founder Michael Ballweg has been announced. 2000 participants were registered in Göppingen, and organizers expect several hundred each at demonstrations in Pforzheim, Hanover and Berlin. The administrative court Munich however, confirmed the city’s ban on a “lateral thinker” demonstration, for which up to 30,000 participants were registered on Munich’s Theresienwiese. (dpa / cibo) * Merkur.de is part of the Ippen digital network.
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