German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has stood by describing people involved in violence after weekend youth protests as “chaotic,” rejecting calls to reconsider his wording. Speaking at a congress of the German Police Union in Berlin, he said he could not describe the violence he had seen on the streets differently. He added that those involved could be further characterised as left-wing, right-wing, Islamist or from a migrant background.
Dobrindt praised police for carrying out their operations “highly professionally” and called for greater recognition of their work. He rejected allegations that police violence had contributed to the escalation and said officers should be protected when attacked.
Tens of thousands of people initially took part in Saturday’s nationwide demonstrations organised by the group GenZ regelt, mostly peacefully, according to authorities. Clashes later broke out in cities including Frankfurt, Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg. The protest organisers distanced themselves from those responsible for the violence.
Dobrindt’s remarks about the alleged migrant background of some participants continued to draw criticism. Green Party parliamentary group leader Britta Haßelmann said it was wrong to portray people with a migration background as a problem, warning that others could feel targeted even if they were not the intended subject. She said Dobrindt’s comments sent a divisive and rejecting message, while also emphasising that crimes should be prosecuted where necessary.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius questioned what Dobrindt meant by “migrant groups,” asking whether the term included people who had lived in Germany for generations and held German citizenship. CDU deputy parliamentary leader Norbert Röttgen cautioned against generalisations, saying there was no single migrant community in Germany. CDU General Secretary Franziska Hoppermann, by contrast, defended Dobrindt, saying the images showed that some of those involved came from particular migrant communities.
The German Police Union also defended Dobrindt’s remarks. Its federal police section head, Andreas Roßkopf, said officers’ reports confirmed the groups he had described. Union chairman Jochen Kopelke called debates about perpetrators’ origin or skin colour unhelpful, while acknowledging that sweeping remarks could hurt members of broader social groups.
The violence also prompted debate about whether future GenZ regelt events should be restricted. Hesse Interior Minister Roman Poseck questioned whether further events should go ahead, and Stuttgart Mayor Frank Nopper did not rule out banning them. Baden-Württemberg Minister-President Cem Özdemir opposed restrictions on the right to demonstrate, while condemning violence and destruction.
The Left criticised the police response and requested a Bundestag debate for Friday, citing reports and images of batons, tear gas and containment tactics. Parliamentary group leader Heidi Reichinnek said the operations needed urgent scrutiny and argued that discussion should also address young people’s concerns, fears and anger.
Sources: Tagesschau.