Barricades set ablaze in Leipzig's eastern district following the house takeover

In the heart of Leipzig, a city in eastern Germany, a police operation took place late on Tuesday evening in the eastern district. The operation followed an eviction of an occupied house in the same district the previous day.

The protest on Eisenbahnstraße, one of the affected streets, was announced as early as 5 PM. As the night progressed, hundreds of people gathered at Torgauer Platz, with more joining as the situation escalated. Barricades were erected, trash cans set on fire, and more fireworks and firecrackers were set off, causing a chaotic scene.

Residents of Eisenbahnstraße argued with left-wing activists, attempting to prevent them from burning trash cans. Some residents even extinguished burning barricades with water. However, the police, along with arriving forces from Saxony-Anhalt, cleared the barricades around midnight.

The fires caused damage to a house wall, street surfaces, and a vehicle. Traffic disruptions occurred in Eisenbahn-, Ida-, and Ludwigstraße due to the operation. Despite the protest being announced since 5 PM, the police only deployed officers at midnight, citing a lack of officers available and unclear plans for preventive and organizational measures.

The police estimated the number of people to be in the hundreds but could not provide an exact figure. No injuries were reported during the operation. The police have not yet provided information on any arrests or dispersal orders.

The criminal police have initiated investigations, including for suspected violations of public order and trespassing. The group "Leipzig occupy" claimed responsibility for the house occupation on the X platform. The supposedly occupied house on Ludwigstraße contained no people, according to the police.

The activists demanded a central place as a cultural and exchange space and wanted to establish a social center called "Helium" in the empty house. The police had previously evicted a building in Herrmann-Liebmann-Straße that had been occupied by activists since Saturday evening.

The extent of the damage cannot yet be determined. The police forces were deployed only at midnight despite the protest on Eisenbahnstraße being announced since 5 PM because official preventive and organizational measures, including police adjustments on site, appeared to have been planned but not fully implemented or clarified beforehand, as questions about the enforcement and timing of these measures remained largely open according to local political discussions.

The police had to request reinforcements from Saxony-Anhalt due to a lack of officers available. The fires damaged a house wall, street surfaces, and a vehicle. The operation follows a series of similar incidents in the city, highlighting the ongoing tension between activists and authorities in Leipzig.