German police clash with leftist protesters trying to prevent a neo-Nazi march
Police in Germany have fired water cannon, smoke grenades, and tear gas to disperse a large group of protesters, staging a rally to disrupt a neo-Nazi march in the eastern city of Leipzig
The clashes occurred when thousands of leftist protesters, composed of various civil groups, held a counter-demo in the city's southern suburb of Südvorstadt on Saturday to block an anti-refugee rally staged by a smaller group of about 200 far-right demonstrators, but were barred by about 800 security forces, the German Der Spiegel magazine reported.
Some pro-refugee protesters set fire to rubbish bins and wooden barricades to prevent the neo-Nazi demonstrators from marching. They also threw stones, bottles and fireworks at police forces, who tried to keep the rival rallies apart.
Reports say that several people sustained injuries in the violence and a couple of others were arrested, including an anti-fascist Protestant pastor.
Last Saturday, similar rallies were held in the cities of Schifferstadt and Ohringen by the two opposing groups.
The influx of asylum seekers into Europe has sparked sentiments for and against refugee across the continent, especially in Germany, which hosts the bulk of refugees for now.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open-door policy on refugees has reportedly caused increasing tensions in Germany, prompting a backlash from her conservative allies and generating a growing number of protests by far-right groups.
Germany, Europe’s top destination for refugees, is expecting to receive between 800,000 and one million asylum seekers this year. Most of the refugees are fleeing conflict-hit zones in the Middle East and Africa.
According to recent figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 878,490 refugees have reached Europe’s shores so far this year while more than 3,560 people have either died or gone missing in the perilous journey.
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