Trial on riots in Chemnitz begins in December
More than five years after a fatal knife attack at the Chemnitz city festival and subsequent riots, the legal investigation of the event continues at Chemnitz district court. On December 11, a trial for breach of the peace will begin against nine defendants, as the court announced on Friday. The men, aged between 26 and 51, are accused of attacking participants in a counter-demonstration after a so-called funeral march by AfD, Pegida and Pro Chemnitz on September 1, 2018.
Only four of the accused are from Saxony. According to the court, the others live in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland. One of the defendants is Bulgarian. The proceedings against him have been suspended for the time being because the summons to the trial could not be served, said a court spokeswoman. Eleven hearings are scheduled until the end of January.
The trial is the first of a total of three proceedings relating to the riots on September 1, 2018. A total of 29 people involved have been identified, the spokesperson said. Eleven people were injured in the attacks. The dates for the other two trials have not yet been set. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, it was not possible to start earlier.
On August 26, 2018, a German was stabbed to death in a dispute with asylum seekers on the fringes of the Chemnitz city festival. A Syrian was later convicted of manslaughter, another man involved is on the run. The act of violence led to massive protests in the city, with neo-Nazis and soccer hooligans demonstrating side by side with previously inconspicuous citizens. There were racist attacks and an attack on a Jewish restaurant; there was also talk of hunts.
The investigation into the processes surrounding the 2018 Chemnitz riots has uncovered evidence of extremist views among some of the participants. Local municipalities have expressed concern about the impact of such crime-related demonstrations on community safety and cohesion.
Source: www.dpa.com
