EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GERMANY PROTEST Police clash with demonstrators over refugee shelter

Record ID: 142898

  • Title: EUROPE-MIGRANTS/GERMANY PROTEST Police clash with demonstrators over refugee shelter
  • Date: 23rd August 2015
  • Summary: HEIDENAU, GERMANY (AUGUST 23, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF REFUGEES PLAYING TENNIS IN FRONT OF PRAKTIKER WAREHOUSE THAT WAS TURNED INTO SHELTER VARIOUS OF REFUGEES TALKING TO JOURNALIST VARIOUS OF REFUGEES PLAYING CARDS WITH LEFT-WING SUPPORTERS POLICE IN FRONT OF PRAKTIKER WAREHOUSE WITH RIGHT-WING PROTESTERS BEHIND CORDONNED OFF STREET NIGHT SHOTS POLICE LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATORS WITH BANNER, READING (German) 'AGAINST OBLIVION - FASCISM IS A CRIME' VARIOUS OF LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATORS WALKING VARIOUS OF POLICE LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATORS WALKING WITH POLICE SIRENS BLARING AND POLICE SCUFFLING WITH DEMONSTRATORS AND USING PEPPER SPRAY LEFT-WING DEMONSTRATORS WALKING AWAY, COUGHING AFTER BEING PEPPER-SPRAYED POLICE
  • Embargoed: 7th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6KO858Q7EGBW0T3JA3N3RYHG9
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Germany's interior minister led calls on Sunday (August 23) for a crackdown on right-wing militants and racists after a second night of scuffles between protesters and police outside a refugee shelter in an eastern German town near Dresden.
    Just a day after 31 police officers were hurt in violent protests against the asylum seekers police started to set up a security zone around the shelter, an empty hardware store.
    The situation remained tense on Sunday evening when police used tear gas and pepper spray to break up isolated scuffles between right-wing radicals and far-left protesters, German media reported.
    Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel will visit the town on Monday.
    As Europe struggles with an influx of migrants fleeing war in countries such as Syria and Iraq, German politicians are worried about the financial and social effects on their country, the EU's biggest recipient of refugees.
    Germany, which has relatively liberal asylum laws, expects the number of refugees to quadruple this year to 800,000. Chancellor Angela Merkel says it is the biggest issue the EU faces, tougher even than the Greek debt crisis.
    Justice Minister Heiko Maas responded to the Heidenau riot by saying there was zero tolerance for xenophobia or racism.
    Many politicians have warned about a rise in hostility towards foreigners and in the first half of the year alone, some 150 arson or other attacks were recorded on refugee shelters.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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