Around 250 neo-nazis and football hooligans attacked Connewitz quarter in Leipzig during coordinated action on 11th of January 2016.Connewitz is well known for being a subculture neighborhood hosting many venues and places connected to antifascist scene. This attack, with participation of neo-nazis from youth organization NPD Junge Nationaldemokraten and hooligans from Lokomotive Leipzig and Hallescher FC, was connected to the annual march of anti-islamic movement LEGIDA that had taken place the same evening in the city center. Attackers have damaged bistros, pubs, shops, bookstore and Roter Stern Leipzig football team fan-shop. They have also attacked couple houses using pyrotechnics and one of these houses was set on fire in the attack.
This is another case of attacks from the rising wave of racists violence around Europe. Attacks that include murders of migrants in Germany and Sweden, murders of Roma in Hungary, arson attacks on buildings where asylum seekers' live, lethal attacks on Jews and the rise of antisemitism or any other everyday-form of oppression.
While any violent crimes done by migrants are widely publicized and scandalized, racists, fascists and neo-nazi attacks hardly ever gain significant media coverage. Anti-immigrant movement's rage grows with external “help” of aggressive Islamic fundamentalists and it is not a big surprise that it turns from "just" hate speech to acts of physical violence. It is up to all of us to stand up, both verbally and physically, against those “defenders of Europe” — racists criminals — as well as against all religious fundamentalists regardless of their origin. Two thousands protesters had gathered at "Leipzig bleibt rot!" / "Leipzig remains red!" demonstration next day after the attacks.
Demonstration "Leipzig bleibt rot!" on 12th of January
Short way from demonstration of "polite defenders of Europe" to violent attacks.
How can you help?
Leipzig and Dresden are probably the only enclaves in Saxony where racism faces anti-racist resistance. It is extremely important to stand up and provide some help and support to the affected ones. All the damaged organizations want to resume their work as soon as possible and ask for any financial support you can offer.