German vigilante group vows to protect women from migrant attackers

[pampango]

19. Looks like RW vigilantes did some 'protecting': Foreign Men Attacked in Cologne As Dueling Protests

Ramp Up in Response to New Year’s Assaults

This weekend, several different groups preaching very different messages converged on Cologne. There were anti-migrant protesters, angry about the government's decision to let in so many refugees after the assaults in the German city on New Year's Eve. Water cannons were used to disperse the crowd of nearly 2,000 people, some of which threw beer bottles or firecrackers at the police. According to the AFP, attendees chanted, "Merkel must go," and at least one banner said, "Rapefugees not welcome." One protester, a right-wing politician, told The Financial Times, "All Muslim immigration must stop . . . We cannot integrate Islamist fascists."

Other protesters gathered to greet the right-wing group with a message opposing xenophobia, another group — mostly women, per Reuters — carried signs that said things like, "No means no. Keep away from our bodies." There were more than 1,000 counter-protesters.

The attacks have also proved to be a catalyst for more violence. According to the New York Times, six Pakistani nationals were attacked by about 20 people in Cologne on Sunday. Two were sent to the hospital. In other separate incidents in Cologne, a Syrian man and a group of Africans were also attacked. The Guardian adds that "local newspaper Express reported that the attackers were members of gangs who arranged via Facebook to meet in downtown Cologne to start a 'manhunt' of foreigners."

"As abominable as the crimes in Cologne and other cities were, one thing remains clear," Maas said this weekend. "There is no justification for blanket agitation against foreigners." One Syrian man in Cologne told BuzzFeed, “I’m very worried we will be attacked ... I don’t have any problem with Germans – many have welcomed me here and helped me integrate into the country – but many have problems with me and others, because we are from a different country ... The criminals, they are giving us new problems. They are making it harder for us, making it worse. This makes me more sad."

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/germany-to-release-more-info-on-assaults.html