May Day demonstration in Gera: investigations against 36 suspects
The public prosecutor's office in Gera is investigating 36 suspects in connection with a May Day demonstration in Gera. The suspects are from Thuringia, Saxony, Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, Berlin and Hamburg, said a spokesperson for the authority. MDR had previously reported on the details of the investigation. Thuringia and Saxony are the main focus of the investigation, the spokesperson said. The charges include breach of the peace, resisting law enforcement officers, assaulting law enforcement officers and assembly offenses.
On Labor Day, there had been two major demonstrations in Gera in eastern Thuringia - one from the right-wing camp and a counter-demonstration from the predominantly left-wing camp. However, according to the police, the timetable was disrupted. In order to prevent the demonstrators from clashing, the police changed the route of the counter-demonstration. When there was an attempt to break through, the police took action and used batons and pepper spray, among other things, to fend it off.
About a week ago, searches were carried out in the left-wing scene in several federal states. The spokesman for the public prosecutor's office in Gera said that cell phones, among other things, had been seized. A firearm was also found in Saxony. However, this was a chance find - a separate investigation into a weapons offense is underway, the spokesman said. The Chemnitz public prosecutor's office is responsible for this.
The disturbances during the May Day demonstration in Gera led to charges of breach of peace and assaulting law enforcement officers for some individuals. Despite the peaceful intentions of the left-wing counter-demonstration, demonstrations can sometimes escalate into instances of crime.
Source: www.dpa.com
