Far-left supporters demonstrating in support of a woman sentenced to prison for taking part in attacks against neo-Nazis and other extremists have clashed with police in the eastern German city of Leipzig. Some incidents that have left 50 agents and several protesters injured this weekend.
The protest, scheduled for Saturday, among supporters of 28-year-old Lina E., whose full name was withheld for privacy reasons, was banned by the Leipzig authorities. According to the police, some 1,500 protesters turned out despite the ban.
What began as a peaceful protest ended in clashes between demonstrators and police, in which some threw stones, bottles and fireworks while the agents tried to evacuate some areas of the city.
The Leipzig police chief, René Demmler, said this Sunday that 50 of his officers and an unknown number of protesters were injured, reports the German news agency DPA. The severity of the injuries is unclear at this time.
Authorities are investigating several people for serious disturbance of public order and assault on police officers. About 30 people were detained, Demmler said, and another 40-50 were arrested and released later today.
The German Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has criticized the violent actions of some protesters and has wished the injured agents a speedy recovery in a statement released on Sunday.
"Nothing justifies the senseless violence of left-wing extremists and rioters," he said. "Anyone who throws rocks, bottles or incendiary devices at police officers must be held accountable."
Meanwhile, some politicians have criticized the police's actions towards the protesters, pointing out that they had been unnecessarily aggressive.
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