Saturday demonstrations were held in protest against the march of numerous far-right organizations in the southern part of Leipzig.
It is reported that 150 members of numerous neo-Nazi factions such the Die Rechte party (the Right), xenophobic organization Offensive für Deutschland (OfD) (Offensive for Germany), and a division of the PEGIDA movement called Thugida gathered in the afternoon.
#antifa barricades in #Leipzig against the nazi demo #antireport #Germany #Deutschland pic.twitter.com/OUgR1tQpTH
— Souidos (@Souidos) December 12, 2015
The right-wing march was met with large-scale opposition by various anti-facism movements who staged dozens of counter-protests across the city, Der Spiegel reported.
It is thought thousands joined the demonstrations against the far-right organizations.
Although police managed to keep both factions separate from each other violence between counter protest groups and police erupted after masked men threw stones, bottles and pyrotechnics at police officers.
Police reacted by using water cannons, smoke grenades and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
#le1212 police fights fires w/ water cannon truck in Leipzig Connewitz pic.twitter.com/ODzkCRGCHg
— denise reese (@denice_ruptly) December 12, 2015
“Some protesters from a group of about 1,000 people attacked police officers deployed to the scene (in the southern part of the city),” a police official said in a twitter post.
In a statement prior to the protests local police said there was "strong potential for violence" and around 800 officers were deployed in the city ahead of the marches.
Der Spiegel also reported that in response protesters erected barricades and set them on fire.
Police have confirmed several people were hurt in the violence and the situation remains tense.
Leipzig, home to 550,000 people has witnessed several demonstrations by anti-immigrant groups to protest Chancellor Angela Merkel's immigration policy concerning migrants from Syria and Afghanistan. Similar protests earlier in 2015 were met with counter demonstrations but without Saturday’s level of violence.
More than one million asylum seekers are expected to arrive in Germany this year.
#Germany: Barricades continue to burn in protest of Nazi demonstration in #Leipzig. #le1212 #antifa pic.twitter.com/5exPxR14DF
— ѕyndιcalιѕт (@syndicalisms) December 12, 2015
