After the judgment in Leipzig, numerous demonstrators are on the streets – stones and bottles are thrown at officials, barricades are erected. The night then remains largely calm.
After the guilty verdict for the student Lina E. and clashes between demonstrators and the police, the night in Leipzig remained largely calm. A glass container and a car burned in the Connewitz district. A connection to the demonstration cannot be ruled out, said a police spokeswoman on Thursday. Three suspects – a 34-year-old woman and two 28 and 26-year-old men – have been arrested. There were also solidarity rallies for Lina E. in Berlin, Hamburg and Dresden.
The student was sentenced to five years and three months in prison on Wednesday. The Dresden Higher Regional Court found the 28-year-old from Kassel guilty of membership in a criminal organization for several attacks on right-wing extremists. Three co-defendants received sentences of between two years and five months and three years and three months. The federal prosecutor accused the group of brutally beating up actual or alleged neo-Nazis in Leipzig, Eisenach and in the town of Wurzen between 2018 and 2020.
Arrest warrant suspended
The arrest warrant against Lina E. was suspended against conditions. She only has to serve the rest of the sentence when the verdict is final – the court allowed an appeal.
With the sentence imposed, the court stayed under the requests of the Federal Prosecutor’s Office, which had attested to the defendants’ “militant left-wing extremist ideology”. She had asked for eight years in prison.
Lina E.’s sentence was not only mitigated by the fact that she had no criminal record and had been in custody for two and a half years. The presiding judge, Hans Schlueter-Staats, saw her personal rights violated by the media coverage and spoke of a prejudice. In addition to a rheumatic disease, these reasons also played a role in Lina E. being released for the time being. However, the court acknowledged the 28-year-old’s importance in the group, but “not a formative one in the sense of being a ringleader”.
Riots in Leipzig after the verdict
According to the police, around 800 people took part in a demonstration in Leipzig on Wednesday evening. The indicated number of participants of 150 was “blatantly exceeded”. A planned elevator was prohibited by the assembly authority and only a stationary assembly was allowed. Reasons were, among other things, the masked and sometimes militant appearance of the demonstrators, who also carried “protective weapons” such as special gloves.
After the meeting, the participants tried to break through the police barriers. Bottles, stones and pyrotechnics were thrown in the direction of the emergency services. According to the police, there were also cases of bodily harm. A heavily intoxicated cyclist said he was attacked by five people dressed in black. The man was slightly injured. The officials stopped the attempt to set up barricades by quickly intervening.
Laser pointer on police helicopter
The pilot of a police helicopter was blinded with a green laser pointer. He then had to turn away. It will be determined because of dangerous interference in air traffic. Four officers were slightly injured by thrown objects. The police recorded several crimes. Two alleged stone throwers aged 32 and 31 were found. They were later released. The situation calmed down around midnight.
For Saturday, the radical left scene is calling for national participation in a big “Day X” in Leipzig. The police fear riots and are preparing a large-scale operation.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
