Protests in Salzwedel: Antifa demo moves peacefully through the city despite opponents

Protests in Salzwedel: Antifa demo moves peacefully through the city despite opponents

In Salzwedel, today, July 5th, was a day on which the streets were filled with people who wanted to send a clear signal against the right. From 2:30 p.m. around 220 participants gathered at the train station to follow the motto “ANTIFA against the shift to the right”. The peaceful demonstration was extensively secured by the police, which proved to be an important measure to prevent possible conflicts.

The planned elevator led over Ernst-Thälmann-Straße and Rathausturmplatz to Altperverstrasse. The participants carried banners and the procession was accompanied by a loudspeaker truck. But the symbolism of the demonstration was not only aimed at the protesters. As the People's voice Reportedly, there was an incident at Kaufland when people from the right-wing spectrum tried to provoke the demonstrators, but this was stopped by the police.

History and police operations

In total, around 160 police officers were deployed to ensure security during the protest. The local police were supported by the Magdeburg state riot police, the central emergency service and the traffic monitoring group of the Stendal police station. There were no major riots during the course of the meeting. The police chief, Tina Beck, expressed herself positively and explained that the operational concept had been implemented largely successfully.

However, there were some crimes recorded. Three people are now being investigated for violations of the Explosives Act after pyrotechnics were ignited. There is also an investigation into an attack on a police officer who was threatened with an umbrella. A complaint about the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations was also filed after it was discovered that banned slogans had been chanted.

Additional gathering and civic engagement

The day before, July 4th, there was also a spontaneous demonstration under the motto “Against Fascism”. This meeting, which was attended by around 50 people, also passed without any major incidents and was secured by the police. Nevertheless, participants such as city councilor Gabriele Gruner from the Left and others present expressed disappointment at the low participation of the Salzwedel population.

The commitment against the growing right-wing structures in the city is also reflected in the citizens' initiatives. Among other things, representatives of the initiatives “No CO2 final storage facility in Altmark” and “Lüchow-Dannenberg” were visible. Lothar Lehmann from the citizens' initiative criticized the state government's reactions and called for greater public interest, while other supporters emphasized the importance of commitment.

Overall, July 5th in Salzwedel was a day of protest that made it clear that citizens do not want to accept the current situation. This meeting and the actions of the police show how important it is to stand together in difficult times and to send clear signals. The police also showed a good hand, as they managed to keep the situation under control and prevent major clashes despite occasional tensions. The continued increased police presence in the city gives hope that citizens can continue to feel safe in the future.