BERLIN — German riot police Sunday clashed with far-right hooligans who rallied against Islamist extremism, with authorities using water cannon and tear gas against the rock-throwing protesters.
At least 2,500 hardline soccer fans from across Germany had massed under the banner “Hooligans against Salafists” in the western city of Cologne, drawing some 500 leftist and anti-fascist counter protesters.
Tensions escalated and right-wing protesters repeatedly yelled “Foreigners out!”, reported national news agency DPA and witnesses sending updates on Twitter.
Police in helmets and riot gear used batons, pepper spray and water cannon against the right-wing protesters who hurled rocks, bottles and fireworks at them.
Germany has seen a rise in nationalistic sentiment, as tensions between ethnic Germans and immigrant communities have raised the profile of previously underground far-right groups.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Earlier this month, Kurds in Germany clashed with radical Muslims in the northern city of Hamburg and elsewhere, in street clashes fueled by the conflict involving the Islamic State in northern Iraq and Syria.
Justin Jalil contributed to this report.
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today, and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our outstanding DocuNation series of Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
