The investigation into the unrest in Chemnitz in August 2018 shows that extremists made plans to “hunt” migrants and people who appeared to be foreign, German media has reported.
According to police documents seen by the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, and broadcasters WDR and NDR, the Saxony Criminal Police Office tracked down chat messages exchanged between known members of Chemnitz’s extremist far-right scene between August 26th and 28th.
Police found that these individuals agreed on “hunts” and also boasted about having achieved what they set out to do.
Violent demonstrations where footage appeared to show extremists chasing after non-white people grabbed headlines around the world, marking Chemnitz as a neo-Nazi stronghold where foreigners are unwelcome.
However, a nationwide debate over whether or not foreigners had been targeted was sparked.
The events almost toppled the coalition government in Berlin, as high profile figures, including the former head of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maaßen questioned if “Hetzjagd” – the hunting down of foreigners – had actually taken place.
The demonstrations began after a German man was stabbed to death during a festival to mark the city’s 875th anniversary. Last week a Syrian man was sentenced to jail for manslaughter. An Iraqi man is still at large.
Source: The Local
