Police on duty. Photo: Carsten Rehder/dpa/Symbolbild
After the mass brawl in Essen, the police initiated several criminal proceedings. Among other things, it is about serious breaches of the peace, dangerous bodily harm and violations of the weapons law.
After a mass brawl between Syrians and Lebanese in Essen, the police have initiated several criminal proceedings. According to the information, around a hundred people were on site during the violent dispute in downtown Essen. The police were able to prevent further clashes.
The police in Essen announced on Monday that investigations were being carried out, among other things, into serious breaches of the peace, dangerous bodily harm and violations of the weapons law. Four police officers and two other people were injured in the clash on Friday evening.
The police warned against parallel justice and the use of so-called justices of the peace and called on “members of the Syrian and Lebanese community” to support the police with information.
Police warn of parallel justice
During large-scale checks over the weekend, officers confiscated several weapons, including knives, baseball bats, iron bars and roof battens studded with nails. 250 people were checked.
According to the officials, on Sunday they received indications of a meeting of around 200 people in a mosque in the north of Essen, which could be connected to the mass brawl. Investigations are currently underway, it said.
Discussion also in NRW
Violent clashes had also kept the police in suspense in Castrop-Rauxel in North Rhine-Westphalia. There was a fight with up to 30 people here on Thursday. A police officer was injured when he was thrown with a wooden slat.
On Friday, the police went out again for a large-scale operation and confiscated several weapons, including knives, machetes and a firearm. A 19-strong homicide squad was deployed to investigate.
North Rhine-Westphalia’s Justice Minister Benjamin Limbach (Greens) announced consistent action against the perpetrators.
“The state does not tolerate that conflicts are carried out by means of physical altercations, no matter by whom,” Limbach told the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung according to the advance notice. The minister emphasized that anyone who used criminal violence would be investigated by the public prosecutor’s office and initiated criminal proceedings. (afp)