Young Migrants Wreak New Year’s Eve Havoc in Bavarian City
While much of Germany was at relative peace on New Year’s Eve the Bavarian city of Augsburg was not, as migrants carried out random acts of violence and sexual assault.
Police in Augsburg say that migrants were responsible for several incidents on New Year’s Eve including a stabbing that left one man injured. Several other incidents involving fireworks used as weapons also led to several victims being injured, and a firework that was shot at a police vehicle caused an accident costing 50,000 euros’ worth of damage, reports Augsburger Allgemeine.
Amongst the reported stabbings, an Iraqi migrant stabbed a Syrian migrant with a pocket knife during an argument. The Syrian was stabbed in the thigh and is not reported to have suffered severe injuries. Another stabbing occurred at the main New Year’s Eve party in the city as one man of German origin attacked a young man in the torso resulting in severe injuries and hospitalisation.
Fireworks were also employed by several migrants to attack and cause damage to property. Police say that three Syrian migrants deliberately targetted revellers with fireworks at the main intersection at Königsplatz in the city centre.
Emergency service workers were also targetted. In one case, a fireman attempting to aid a man who was hit in the eye with a firework was also shot at with fireworks. Police spokesman Friedhelm Bechtel said he was “sad and stunned” that those celebrating would turn on their fellow man on New Year’s Eve and that they would attack emergency services who were trying to help those injured.
Sexual assault, which was rampant during the 2015 New Year’s celebrations across Germany, and specifically in Cologne, also occurred in Augsburg. Police say that three Afghan migrants sexually assaulted two 18-year-old women in a nightclub grabbing their buttocks and harassing them until the migrants were eventually removed. The men, aged 19, 21, and 37, fought on their way out of the club.
The New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne went off without any major incident due to the heavily increased police presence this year, but not everyone was pleased with police tactics. Left-wing activists have accused police of “racial profiling” because the authorities specifically controlled North African migrants, who were largely responsible for the attacks last year.
During police operations in Cologne on New Year’s Eve, a 38-year-old Syrian migrant was arrested following intelligence that he was planning a terror attack that evening. The migrant had previously been arrested for terror-financing offences.