Schwerin (dpa/mv) - The police accompanied the demonstrations on inflation and energy shortages on Monday evening in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 413 police officers. There were around 12,700 participants in the 24 demonstrations across the country, about twice as many as a week earlier at the 19 meetings at the time, the Ministry of the Interior said on Tuesday at the request of the German Press Agency. All demos were peaceful.
It is currently not possible to estimate how the number of meetings and participants will develop, the ministry said. "The police authorities are in close contact with the locally responsible assembly authorities in order to be able to gain appropriate insights into future assembly situations and to be able to prepare for the operations." At the moment, the state police have no information that would indicate that the situation would be unpeaceful or that there would be an increased potential for aggression in the future.
Interior Minister Christian level (SPD) emphasized: "The fact that people in our republic can take to the streets to protest peacefully for or against things that move them is one of the greatest achievements of our democracy and is expressly desired."
The emphasis is on peaceful. Violence, misanthropy, racism and anti-Semitism are not. The minister appealed to the citizens: "Therefore, please distance yourself very clearly from them if they meet you at demonstrations in which you are taking part."
