The German government on Monday condemned the far-right for “hunting down” foreigners in the city of Chemnitz in the aftermath of a fatal stabbing.
More than 800 people protested in the city, in the state of Saxony in eastern Germany, on Sunday in a gathering organized by the far-right Pegida movement, forcing police to call in reinforcements.
“Such riotous assemblies, the hunting down of people who appear to be from different backgrounds or the attempt to spread hate in the streets, these have no place in our country,” Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson Steffen Seibert said.
The violent protests followed the killing of a 35-year-old German on Sunday morning. Local media reported that a Syrian and an Iraqi had been arrested in connection with the attack.
On Sunday, bottles were used to attack police and people the protesters believed to be foreigners. German media reported that some demonstrators had shouted “We are the people” and “You’re not welcome here” at people they thought were immigrants.
More than a thousand people on Monday took to the streets of Chemnitz to protest against the far-right.