'Anti-fascist' mob rampages in Leipzig
A mass of 600 people stormed through central Leipzig on Thursday evening, attacking local government buildings, smashing shop windows, destroying police vehicles and spray painting anti-fasacist slogans along the way.
Police reported that the group gathered at the state court and grew in numbers as they moved towards Augustusplatz, the largest square in the city.
Police later found large numbers of graffiti slogans including “it was murder” (possibly a reference to the violent death of an Eritrean asylum seeker in Dresden on Monday), “Stop Pegida”, “ANTIFA” (anti-fascists) and “stop deportations".
Along the route, members smashed storefronts, including a hairdresser and a bank, ripped up traffic signs from the pavement and threw them onto the street, and let off fireworks and smoke bombs.
When police patrol cars approached, hooded people began throwing rocks at them.
The mob continued towards Roßplatz, smashing more businesses, before moving to the city court where they smashed 40 windows.
Police reported that a large group were stopped when the group reached Karl-Liebknecht Straße. Only three were arrested, while officers recorded the details of the remaining 204.
Officers are investigating many of them for serious breach of the peace.
Three police cars were seriously damaged, including one which had all of its windows completely smashed.
A Leipzig police spokesman told The Local that his fellow officers were still accounting for all the damage done by the mob.
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Police reported that the group gathered at the state court and grew in numbers as they moved towards Augustusplatz, the largest square in the city.
Police later found large numbers of graffiti slogans including “it was murder” (possibly a reference to the violent death of an Eritrean asylum seeker in Dresden on Monday), “Stop Pegida”, “ANTIFA” (anti-fascists) and “stop deportations".
Along the route, members smashed storefronts, including a hairdresser and a bank, ripped up traffic signs from the pavement and threw them onto the street, and let off fireworks and smoke bombs.
When police patrol cars approached, hooded people began throwing rocks at them.
The mob continued towards Roßplatz, smashing more businesses, before moving to the city court where they smashed 40 windows.
Police reported that a large group were stopped when the group reached Karl-Liebknecht Straße. Only three were arrested, while officers recorded the details of the remaining 204.
Officers are investigating many of them for serious breach of the peace.
Three police cars were seriously damaged, including one which had all of its windows completely smashed.
A Leipzig police spokesman told The Local that his fellow officers were still accounting for all the damage done by the mob.
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