Saxony calls for “rapid trials” against lateral thinkers

After the horror of the torchlight march in front of the private house of Saxony’s Minister of Health Petra Köpping (SPD), the police in Dresden are preparing for a large-scale operation. On Monday, the emergency services expect a protest from opponents of the corona policy in front of the Saxon state parliament. The reason: Parliament wants to decide at 1 p.m. on the determination of the epidemic situation in the Free State.

The police announced on Friday that the protest will be called on in particular in social networks. “Extremists are also mobilizing for a protest in front of the Saxon state parliament. Our risk prognosis, the basis of our tactics, is therefore completely different than on the previous Mondays, ”said Police President Jörg Kubiessa.

As a result, this significantly narrows the scope for discretion. “The police will take a tougher course – naturally taking into account the principle of proportionality when choosing our means,” said the police chief. Water cannons should be ready in the city center.

The police in the state took action again on Sunday evening in several cities against unauthorized rallies with hundreds of opponents of the corona policy. There had already been demonstrations at various locations over the weekend, although the Corona Emergency Ordinance only allows stationary meetings with up to ten participants.

In particular, the protest in front of Minister Köpping’s house caused a stir. The police have reported the violation of the Assembly Act and are investigating violations of the Corona Ordinance. Politicians bipartisan condemned the gathering.

Politics condemns torchlight march: All Democrats must reject it

Chancellor-designate Olaf Scholz sharply criticized the march: “We mustn’t put up with that as a country,” he said on Monday in Berlin at the presentation of the SPD members of the future federal cabinet. This clear message must come from all Democrats. The pictures and the process itself are “terrible”.

You shouldn’t let anyone get away with the fact that he is somehow annoyed and therefore doing such things, said Scholz. One can have different opinions on many questions and discuss them with enthusiasm. “But that is meant as a threat. And we shouldn’t pretend that it wasn’t exactly that: a threat to a democratic, hardworking and really great politician in Saxony. ”All democrats would have to reject that.

Saxony’s interior minister sees “attack on democracy”

Saxony’s Minister of the Interior, Roland Wöller (CDU), calls for stricter action against lateral thinkers. “I am calling for rapid processes to punish violations of the corona protective measures immediately and rigorously,” something that should not happen weeks later, said Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) of “Bild”. The march in front of the house was “an attack on democracy” and required a clear signal from the rule of law.

Wöller also called for a change in federal laws in order to be able to take action against hate posts on platforms such as “Telegram”. These are no longer harmless messenger services, but platforms for hatred and agitation.

“Anyone who offers a platform to calls for murder must be held liable for them,” said Wöller. “The police must be able to punish the anonymous agitation, to get the real names of the people who are hiding behind some fantasy names.”

The protection of the constitution warns: Protests are becoming more and more aggressive

Saxony’s constitutional protection chief Dirk-Martin Christian warned according to “Bild” of growing radicalization of the demonstrators. “The idea of ​​violent resistance to democratic rules is now one of the typical standard demands of the movement of corona deniers,” said Christian.

Under the influence of right-wing extremists, “Reichsbürgern” and anti-Semites, the protests have become “more and more aggressive”. “At the latest with the violent attacks on police officers and journalists and the punitive verbal attacks against the Saxon Prime Minister, the ‘red lines’ have clearly been crossed”

As Christian further said, it is remarkable “that the participants from the so-called bourgeois spectrum show no tendency to clearly distance themselves from extremists and their anti-constitutional agenda”. With the increasing number of infections and corona measures, the danger “that the crowd of dissatisfied, who think they can find a solution to their problems in conspiracy theories and subversion fantasies, will grow”, said the Saxon constitutional protection chief.

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Thuringia’s interior minister threatens participants with fines

Thuringia’s Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) called the development “fundamentally worrying”. The protests are “partly organized by right-wing extremists” who are sometimes downright “euphoric”, Maier told the RND.

It is “not completely inexplicable” that, because of the new 2G and 3G rules, it is mainly unvaccinated people who take part in the marches. “You will now notice that life brings with it considerable difficulties.”

Protests in which masks are not worn and minimum distances are not adhered to cannot simply be accompanied. “That’s too defensive for me.” But one also has to be careful that the violence does not escalate. In any case, participants would have to expect financial consequences.

SPD parliamentary group vice-president Dirk Wiese said “Welt” that the complaint for violating the right of assembly was a start. After all, a large part of the personal details of the right-wing extremist participants had been recorded. “In Canada, by the way, such protests are being dealt with in a more stringent manner. For further incidents of this kind, we may also have to adjust the range of punishment upwards. “

Saxony expects a corona incidence of 2,800 at the end of December

Saxony’s state government has been trying for weeks to get the exploding number of cases in the Free State under control with restrictions on public life. Saxony has by far the highest seven-day incidence in Germany, most recently the incidence leveled off at values ​​around 1200.

The state government fears that the numbers could even double and rise to values ​​of 2800. “If the momentum continues, it can be assumed that the incidence will rise to around 2800 by the end of December, when it will then drop to the current level by the end of January,” said the government’s motion for the special session of the state parliament on Monday.

The parliament should then decide on the determination of the epidemic situation in the Free State. It is intended to achieve legal certainty for the continuation of existing protective measures and their possible expansion. The current emergency ordinance applies until December 12th. It already prescribes stronger restrictions than in many other federal states. The Saxon government did not rule out a further tightening. First, however, she wants to wait for the effect of the previously imposed contact reductions and the requirements of the new Infection Protection Act. (dpa / AFP / Reuters)