Clashes between anti-migrant crowds and leftist counter-protesters in the eastern German city of Chemnitz entered a second night of violence Monday night, leaving several injured.
The protests began on Sunday and were sparked by the alleged killing of a local man by two immigrants on Saturday night. An Iraqi and a Syrian were arrested on Monday. In response, some 5,000 right-wing demonstrators filled the city’s central boulevard on Monday to demand immigrants leave Germany, according to a local broadcaster. Some protesters were pictured raising their arms in Nazi salutes, as crowds chanted “Close the borders” and “This is our city.”
A smaller group of around 1,000 leftist counter protesters mobilized in opposition, chanting “Nazis out!” according to Deutsche Welle.
The events in Chemnitz reflect just how fraught the migration issue has become in Germany in recent years. In 2015, Chancellor Angela Merkel took the decision to open Germany’s borders in response to the refugee crisis in Europe. Nearly 1 million people applied for asylum in Germany in the year that followed.