Excessive police action against climate movement in Leipzig
KGP Leipzig Polizeigewalt Sachsen
Where is the reasonability?
Cover picture: Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/dpa-bilder
In August 2022, an action of the group "Last Generation" took place in the gallery "Old Masters" in Dresden, where the two young people (22 and 29 years) glued themselves to the picture frame of the "Sistine Madonna" by Raphael. A material damage of approx. 5,000 € resulted at the frame.
Today followed apartment raids at both activists, who had stuck themselves to the frame. These were justified with the investigations to the accusation "Gemeinschädliche Sachbeschädigung", § 304 Criminal Code (StGB).
However, the legitimacy and necessity of these searches raise not insignificant questions in the actions and procedures of the police.
On the one hand, the two persons were already known to the police anyway, which is why the searches were not useful in determining the identity of the accused.
It can also be questioned whether the requirement of reasonableness, which should normally guide the actions of the police, is still given here. A total of around 60 police officers took part in the search of the apartments, primarily looking for evidence. Members of the Police Counter-Terrorism and Extremism Center (PTAZ) were also involved.
The motives behind this excessive police operation are probably intended to intimidate and prevent repetition of such actions.
It appears as if the Saxon police are attempting to gather more information about the climate movement in Saxony and Leipzig and further criminalize it in the same process.
The police themselves are often actors in public discussions and actively try to influence them with the narrative they are spreading . It can therefore be assumed that the current controversial public discourse about the gluing actions on works of art is being used to raise the police's own profile and to put themselves in a better light. After years of scandals within the Saxon police force, it seems all the more necessary to generate positive headlines with police coverage. However, the acts and criminalization of the activists is not even close to the crimes and violent assaults committed by the police.
It would be desirable for the police to investigate with as much eagerness the violence perpetrated by police officers against citizens and other crimes committed. Unfortunately, however, such investigations often lead nowhere and in almost all cases there are no consequences for the officers who use violence.
With this background, the police operation in Leipzig seems even more exaggerated.