What extent have the attacks by right-wing radicals in Chemnitz actually taken? President of the Protection of the Constitution, Hans-Georg Maaßen said the "Bild" newspaper, he had "no reliable information" about hunts on foreign-looking people in the Saxon city. Bundestag vice-president Thomas Oppermann (SPD) criticizes Maaßen for his statements now sharply: He has for it "no understanding," said Oppermann. In Chemnitz states prevailed that "we could not accept on German roads".

"We saw pictures, we heard witnesses, we saw people showing the Hitler salute openly on the street," said Oppermann. Even a group of Social Democrats was "attacked by right-wing hooligans". In such cases, "the state must hold against it". "We have a state monopoly on the use of force, and frankly, defending that is also the task of the President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution," said Oppermann.

Stegner demands resignation of Maaßen

SPD vice chief Ralf Stegner demanded the resignation of Maassen. "I think he can not be kept in office anymore," he said. Federal Interior Minister Seehofer "should part with such a boss of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution". As president, Maassen must protect the constitution "and not the right-wing extremists of democracy".

Video from the first riots in Chemnitz

Video

Twitter / GodCoder

SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil called on Maaßen to provide evidence for his doubts about the authenticity of such videos. "If the Head of Domestic Intelligence publicly objects to the Chancellor, he must now provide evidence for his allegations," he said. Greens parliamentary leader Anton Hofreiter demands of Maaßen that he delivers now. "If Mr Maassen makes such allegations, he must prove them beyond doubt," he told the "taz". Everything else is irresponsible.

The SPD domestic politician Burkhard Lischka told the "Handelsblatt", he consider Maaßens statements in view of the many media and eyewitness reports and 120 preliminary investigations for a "pretty steep thesis". "As President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Mr. Maaßen should not participate in wild speculations, but quickly put facts on the table."

Escalation of racist violence in #Chemnitz, including hunting scenes on migrants. In Chemnitz 800 - 1000 radical rights & hooligans roamed the streets. Background is the death of a man at the city festival. Fans of the Chemnitzer FC called for the protests # C2608 https://t.co/nUzMmrahZI

- Amadeu Antonio St. (@AmadeuAntonio) August 26, 2018

For a video intended to depict hunting scenes of foreigners, Maassen said: "There is no evidence that the video circulating on the internet about this alleged incident is authentic." It said "good reasons that it is a targeted misinformation in order to possibly distract the public from the murder in Chemnitz".

Saxony's Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) shares the assessment of the authenticity of the video and the conceptuality of the hunt. "Not only the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, but also the Attorney General in Saxony has no knowledge that it was hunted," Wöller told the MDR. There are no recordings that prove "that it has come to full-scale re-enactment".

After the riots it is discussed again whether the entire AfD should be observed by the protection of the Constitution. In the past, some state offices had the impression that Maaßen was too cautious about AfD (read more here). So he had met with the former chairman Frauke Petry. According to an AfD drop-out, Maaßen should have also given the party tips on how they could anticipate an observation by the constitutional protection.

Left-wing leader Katja Kipping described him as a response to the hunt-hunt statement as an AfD-speaker. "Maaßen was" no longer tenable in his post, "Kipping continued," instead of defending the Constitution, he abused the authority of his office, to issue a certificate of safety to those who showed the Hitler salute in Chemnitz and called for the killing of people. "One does not know" from whom poses a greater threat to the constitution of our country: by the obvious constitutional enemies like the AfD or alleged constitutional protectors like Maaßen ".

Dobrindt agrees with Maaßen

CSU country group leader Alexander Dobrindt defended Maaßen. "It's his job to inform the public about his facts," he said. "Criticizing the president on the one hand, but accepting credible videos from the internet completely uncritically, that's certainly a completely wrong shoot," said Dobrindt.

After the killing of a 35-year-old in Chemnitz, there had been several rallies of right-wing groups in recent days, and the AfD also called for demonstrations. Rioters also attacked foreigners and journalists. Two allegedly from Syria and Iraq men are in custody because of the homicidal offense. After a third suspect is searched. For Friday evening in Chemnitz a new right rally is planned.

Stimmenfang # 63 - Right-wing riots in Chemnitz: why time and again Saxony?

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Doubts Maassen but also comes from the Union: CDU interior expert Stephan Harbarth asked Maassen an explanation of his doubts about the authenticity of appropriate videos. It now has to be clarified quickly, "is this picture material real or is it not real, so Mr Maassen has to tell me where his doubts actually come from," said the Union faction vice.

Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) had also used the term "Hunthunt". Saxony's prime minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU) contradicted her on Wednesday in a government statement in the state parliament. The events in Chemnitz must be described correctly, he said. "Of course, there was no mob, no hunt and no pogroms." Interior Minister Horst Seehofer described the migration issue in connection with the riots in Chemnitz as the "mother of all political problems" in the country.

In the video: Who are the backers of the Chemnitz riots?

Video

MIRROR TV

Also in these statements, there was sharp criticism. Merkel contradicted Seehofer: "I say that the migration question presents us with challenges and there are also problems." Find out more about the rift in the Union here.

Editor's note: In an earlier caption Thomas Oppermann was mistakenly referred to as SPD faction leader. We corrected the mistake.