Investigation after burning notes in front of Erfurt synagogue
Following the burning of messages of solidarity for the people of Israel in front of the Erfurt synagogue, the public prosecutor's office is investigating damage to property. The investigation is also looking into a possible anti-Semitic motive, the spokesperson for the Erfurt public prosecutor's office told the German Press Agency on Monday. The two suspects have not yet been questioned.
On Sunday night, notes commemorating the people of Israel were burnt on the steps of the New Synagogue in Erfurt, which were covered with grave candles. Officers then arrested two suspected drunken men. According to the police, the 22 and 25-year-old asylum seekers come from Libya. They were released immediately afterwards. No one was injured, but the steps of the synagogue were slightly sooted.
The chairman of the Jewish community, Reinhard Schramm, said: "We are shocked that young asylum seekers know exactly where our synagogue is. Our people are afraid that this will happen again." According to Schramm, the entrance lock to the Jewish cultural center not far from the New Synagogue in Erfurt was also taped shut at the weekend. It will now be replaced. Schramm reiterated the demand for the immediate deportation of anti-Semitic foreign criminals.
Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) had also spoken out in favor of deporting the two men on Sunday, should the suspicions against them be confirmed. It can be assumed that the synagogue was specifically targeted. Minister President Bodo Ramelow (Left Party) said that this incident must be followed by a swift and clear reaction from the state. Ramelow had also declared on Sunday that anyone who targeted synagogues or churches could not claim protection for themselves.
The incident at the Erfurt synagogue raises concerns about potential linkages between crime and religion, as the burning of messages of solidarity could be seen as an act of religious intolerance. The investigation into the incident will surely examine any potential anti-Semitic motivations behind this act of vandalism.
Source: www.dpa.com
