German police said on Sunday evening, the leftist demonstrators repeatedly tried to break through police barriers. “Policewomen and policemen prevented the barrier from being broken by the use of pepper spray and batons. Three female civil servants suffered minor injuries.”
Subsequently, several dozen left-wing radicals disturbed the meeting with their “permanent clapping, chants and interjections during the course of the meeting in a crude manner,” according to the police statement. The police had to lead 41 people out of the hall, because they did not voluntarily want to leave the community center in the district of Kalk.
As reported by the local Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, the protest was organised at the initiative of “Cologne against the Rightwing”. Yusuf Af of the Federation of Democratic Workers’ Associations said at the rally: “Cologne is our city. Fascists have no home here.”
The police initiated several preliminary proceedings on suspicion of trespassing and a misdemeanor under the law of assembly. In addition, the protesters were given verbal warnings. During the operation, the police said that one demonstrator was apprehended by means of an international arrest warrant.
In addition, the police investigated in 13 other cases on suspicion of insult, resistance, breach of the peace, property damage and personal injury. In total, seven people were arrested.
The AfD event was to signal the launch of the European Parliament election campaign in May for Cologne.
The chairman of Verdi WDR, David Jacobs was also present at the protest. The Greens member published a video of the rally on the short message on Twitter: “No place for Nazis here in Kalk”.
Kein Platz für Nazis bei uns in #Kalk. #FCKNZS #cgn0704 pic.twitter.com/mwvo5pstXi
— David 🌈 (@Gewerkschafter) April 7, 2019