Personal injury, breach of mummery and breach of the peace: After the riots, the Cologne police investigating dozens of violent criminals. Justice Minister Maas threatened “by any means the rule of law”.

So a violent night has not experienced for a long time Cologne: dozens of police were injured in riots by thousands of hooligans – now looking for the authorities with high pressure to the rioters. Until now had 57 criminal charges been filed and more could follow, said a spokesman for the Cologne public prosecutor. Police also set up an investigation team to evaluate the numerous video recordings and witness statements.

When criminal allegations therefore come grievous bodily harm, breach of mummery and breach of the peace question. In Cologne on Sunday at least 4000 violent football fans had gathered together with the extreme right a demonstration against Salafists. The rally was advised after a short time out of control – the police then went with water cannons, pepper spray and batons against violent rioters.

The riots at least 44 officers were injured by state and federal police, 17 suspected perpetrators of violence were temporarily in police custody. It was organized by the Association “hooligans against Salafists” (HoGeSa). At least 4,000 people are said to have participated in the rally – far more than the organizers had expected. The police were the hooligans outnumbered by far.

What is now clear that in addition hooligans from the violent affine football scene, many of them for quite some time proceed against Salafis, even the extreme right milieu was involved in the conflict: right-wing extremists have joined the movement connected, but does not control, said the head of North Rhine- Westphalia Constitution protection, Burkhard Freier, in the WDR. Among other members of the parties’ rights and NPD were involved.

The debate about who is responsible for the escalation of the demonstration is, however, in full swing: “My impression is, one has the situation not precisely assessed,” said the North Rhine-Westphalia CDU party chief and vice Armin Laschet. “It was apparent that right-wing extremists would come in large numbers to Cologne.” Therefore, you had the rally “to prohibit in the bud” on the right of assembly, in his view. Even against a gathering at a central location at the main station there would have been opportunities. The demonstration had not represented by Salafists, but xenophobic slogans. “You have to take action against such activities by any means the right order.”

Similarly, also the CDU-interior expert Wolfgang Bosbach said: The protesters point was not, in essence, to point out the dangers of the violent Salafism, but rather to instigate “a desert brawl”, Bosbach told the television channel n-tv. The number of protesters was “may have been somewhat underestimated” by the police.

However, NRW Interior Minister Ralf Jäger defended the concept of the security forces: Police have counted at more than 7000 online registrations to the rally with about 4,000 participants, he said in the ZDF “Morning Magazine”. This assessment had been “fairly accurate”, the concept was working.

“This was a difficult situation yesterday in Cologne,” Hunter said. New excesses of this kind he could not rule because the right to demonstrate is enshrined in the Basic Law. “A simple ban” was not “readily” available. It would rather the Federal Constitutional Court are convinced that “here restrict the right to demonstrate as a fundamental right would be,” said Hunter.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas announced a resolute struggle against violent riots by hooligans. “Who is violence in Germany’s cities, which must be pursued by all means the rule of law and punished,” the SPD politician said. The state should not allow “that violent Salafists and right-wing extremists escalate each other”.

[adrotate group=”12″]