Halloween riots in Frankfurt: 55 suspects identified
Following serious unrest on Halloween night in Frankfurt, police have analysed the nationalities of 55 suspects. Around three-quarters possess a foreign passport.
Halloween unrest in Frankfurt: police release nationality statistics
According to BILD, Frankfurt police have for the first time released detailed information on the nationality of suspects following the Halloween riots. Of 55 suspects identified so far, around three-quarters possess a foreign passport, in some cases in addition to German nationality.
Roughly half of all suspects hold a German passport. However, around one in two of these also hold another nationality. Hessen's Interior Minister Roman Poseck had previously spoken of 80 to 90 per cent of suspects with a migration background. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt characterised those involved as "chaos-makers from the migrant milieu".
According to police figures, 180 officers were injured in the riots. 54 men were arrested. An 18-year-old Syrian is being held in investigative custody after being accused of stealing a weapon from an arms shop during looting.
Unrest also occurred in a second area on Halloween night. Police initiated a total of 87 investigation proceedings and identified 125 suspects. Officers documented, among other things, the throwing of fireworks at police and a Molotov cocktail directed at a police vehicle. 125 people were arrested: 91 Germans and 34 foreign nationals. Among the foreign nationals, Syrians (ten) and Turks (five) were most frequently represented.
Jochen Kopelke, head of the police union GdP, speaks of "riot migrants". In an FAZ interview, he describes what occurred as "the result of failed integration and youth policy". Kopelke calls for a review of whether suspects with temporary residence permits who have already come to the attention of the criminal authorities should be deported. He also criticises the political debate over terminology instead of focusing on enforcement: "This discussion is ridiculous. The terminology debate distracts from the implementation debate."
Source: BILD