BERLIN, October 27 (RIA Novosti) — Seventeen rioters were detained in Sunday's violent protests in Cologne, Germany which left 44 police officers wounded, the N24 TV channel reported on Monday.
One police officer has sustained serious injuries. According to N24, only one of the protesters was hurt.
"4,500 aggressive football hooligans and right-wing radicals gathered here [in central Cologne]. What to do with this mixture is an interesting question. This is a new phenomenon for the police, as well," North Rhine-Westphalia Police Union President Arnold Plickert told the television channel.
On Sunday, a crowd of football fans and far-right activists took to the streets of central Cologne to protest against radical Islamism. However, opponents of the anti-Islamic protest also organized a rally.
Around 1,300 police were deployed to separate the two demonstrations. The far-right rally turned violent with the protesters throwing rocks and bottles at law enforcers. The police used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the rioters.
