Police and anti-war protesters in Germany were accusing each other of violence and misconduct on Sunday after a march in Cologne’s city centre erupted in violent clashes the night before.
Officers admitted using physical force, including batons and pepper spray, on participants at the protest, whose organizers reported on Sunday that dozens of people were injured by police.
Police, meanwhile, said 13 officers were injured and four of those could no longer carry out their shifts after the march attended by 3,000 people in the western German city erupted in violence.
The anti-war protest comes amid a massive boost in defence spending in Germany and following a landmark government agreement that paves the way for Germany to return to conscripting young men into its military if it cannot find enough recruits.
Although the legacy of World War II long left strong anti-war sentiment in Germany, many political leaders see the need to re-arm and reinvigorate the country’s military in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Police said they ended Saturday’s anti-war rally after officers were attacked and repeated violations of assembly laws were noted. A group of people from which the attacks allegedly originated was “detained,” police said.
A dpa reporter witnessed a group of demonstrators being surrounded by police and prevented from leaving late into the night, in a police tactic known as kettling.
Police stated that they identified individuals who were reportedly involved in violent actions. The operation ended around 5 am (0300 GMT), according to a police spokesperson.
Two individuals were temporarily taken into custody for failing to comply with dispersal orders. One of them is also facing criminal charges for resisting arrest and assaulting police officers.
Demonstrators accused the police of detaining some participants without access to water or toilets. Police said that drinks and mobile toilets were available.
A spokesperson for the demonstrators claimed that 40 to 60 people were injured and denied access to hospitals. A police spokesperson responded that “medical assistance was made available where necessary.”
Police reported that 12 participants came forward to say they had been injured, but said they had no information on any complaints filed against officers.
Additionally, two medical emergencies were reported, and those individuals were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital.
According to a statement from organizers on Sunday evening, police has deliberately targeted demonstrators with blows to the hands and stomachs, as well as using pepper spray.
The scrutiny of police force comes after Berlin police sparked a diplomatic incident and concern from Irish officials when an officer punched a pro-Palestinian protester in the face twice, breaking the person’s nose and later their arm during an arrest on Thursday.
As a result of police action in Cologne, 147 people were injured, with 18 requiring hospital treatment, protest organizers said.
“Such brutal escalation by the police is a political scandal,” a spokesperson for the anti-war alliance said in the statement.
According to both police and organizers, approximately 3,000 people took part in the demonstration against re-militarization and war. Some participants were masked and set off smoke bombs, a police spokesperson said.
In an accompanying vehicle, officers reportedly found pyrotechnics, methylated spirits and gas canisters.