German far-right protesters clash with leftists after Chemnitz stabbing
CHEMNITZ, Germany (Reuters) - Far-right demonstrators clashed with leftist protesters in the eastern German city of Chemnitz on Monday after an Iraqi and a Syrian were arrested over a fatal stabbing that had triggered violent demonstrations.
Police said they brought in water cannons after fireworks were thrown from both sides, causing injuries.
State and local officials appealed for calm as thousands of people took to the streets and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman said Germany would not tolerate “vigilante justice”.
The unrest reflected a growing schism in German society after Merkel’s government allowed about 1 million asylum seekers to enter the country in 2015, triggering a shift to the right in German politics.
Over a thousand leftist protesters massed near a giant statue of Karl Marx in Chemnitz on Monday evening to protest attacks on foreigners that occurred during an impromptu demonstration on Sunday after reports spread on social media about the stabbing of a 35-year-old German man.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-chemnitz/german-far-right-protesters-clash-with-leftists-after-chemnitz-stabbing-idUSKCN1LC1DD