Protests continue for the second day in the Saxon city of Chemnitz following the killing of a 35-year-old German man. A 23-year-old Syrian and a 22-year-old Iraqi have been arrested, suspected of stabbing the man to death without any justification following a verbal dispute. While the police are looking into the motives behind the crime, according to a previously issued statement, Sputnik spoke to two German politicians about why this crime has triggered uproar in the city and brought right-wing and left-wing protesters onto streets. On the second day of rallies, demonstrations have grown violent, and some have been injured, according to the police.
A member of the Alternative for Germany party, Gunnar Norbert Lindemann, has lambasted the city authorities with regard to the “brutal deadly stabbing in Chemnitz and the subsequent protests of the Chemnitz’s people,” stating that the mayor of Chemnitz, Barbara Ludwig (SPD), “has gone beyond itself” and describing her behavior “incredibly cold-blooded and technocratic.”
“Instead of expressing sympathy to the family of the killed man and deescalating the overall situation, she is 'horrified' by the people’s protests. Instead of promising the citizens of Chemnitz a quick and comprehensive explanation for the incidents and giving them hope that logical consequences follow, she insults the people and claims that they 'want to create havoc of the situation,'" he told Sputnik, insisting that the mayor’s policy had led to the current situation in Chemnitz.
He has called for her resignation. The AfD politician also stressed the fact that police didn’t identify the nationality of the suspects, referring to them as foreigners at first.
“There have been too many German people, women and men, been killed by foreigners, mostly by asylum seekers of Islamic or African,” he stated in an interview with Sputnik.
Lindemann also slammed the migrant policy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her government, built by the CDU and SPD coalition.
“We have to stop this policy and take care of our homeland and our people. This asylum policy, led since 2015, is deadly for Germans,” he pointed out.
His fellow party member Christian Weiland recalled that the AfD called for a spontaneous rally, which was attended by about 100-150 participants, and strongly distanced from acts of violence by some rioters, reported later.
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According to him, the security situation has worsened massively over the last three years, as five years ago such security measures were not needed. Weiland, who works in the security industry, told Sputnik that there used to be only a few small problems involving drunks, while now there are people carrying knives and other "cultural enrichers."
He also persistently called for the protesters to be peaceful and to renounce violence.
“Violence is never a real solution! … I call on every decent patriot to educate the citizens, to make his protest known, but always compliant with current laws,” he told Sputnik.
The views and opinions expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.