The politician Juliane Nagel (Die Linke) stands in front of a photo wall on the occasion of the constituent session of the Saxon state parliament. © Sebastian Kahnert/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
After a police measure against the Saxon Left Party member of parliament Juliane Nagel at a demonstration, there was a conversation with the Leipzig police chief and the Saxon interior minister on Friday. The round had come together on the initiative of the police chief René Demmler, said a police spokesman. "There was a factual and at the same time critical examination of the police operation and the events of the assembly, for which she was responsible as leader."
Leipzig - Nagel was the applicant for a demonstration on Children's Day on 1 June, for which mobilisation had taken place as the "Day of Youth" or "Youth Struggle Day". The procession with around 170 participants was accompanied by a large police contingent. Nagel was briefly arrested by emergency services because, according to the police, "the disruption of an official act" was in the room. The politician was unknown to the acting officials. After her identity was established, Nagel was released. Video images of the procedure triggered a wave of criticism.
Possible allegations would be clarified in a constitutional procedure, said the police. Due to the immunity of MEPs, this must have a certain formal procedure. If, as described by Nagel, an official actually said that he "didn't care" that she was a member of the state parliament, then this type of communication was "neither professional nor appropriate in substance". Demmler had apologized for this.
It is clear to all those involved that in view of the "Day X" of the left-wing autonomous scene announced for Saturday after the verdict against the student Lina E., "there is uncertainty and fears of riots" and therefore "an important means of de-escalation must be the order of the day". However, the police chief also emphasized that officers would have to act in the event of "violations of norms".
According to the police spokesman, numerous anti-police slogans had been shouted at the "Day of Youth" demonstration. Thus, from the point of view of the police, the demonstration no longer took the course of a gathering in the sense of Youth and Children's Day. Dpa