Overview
- Left party lawmakers Lea Reisner and Cem Ince say police struck or detained them while they were clearly marked as parliamentary observers at separate Berlin demonstrations.
- Footage from Oct. 7 shows Reisner approaching a police line near Alexanderplatz before an officer appears to hit her in the face, and video from Oct. 12 shows Ince being restrained and apparent strike motions as he is put into a police van in Wedding.
- Ince says he filed a criminal complaint alleging bodily harm in office after being released, stating he repeatedly identified himself as an observer during the Rheinmetall/Pierburg protest.
- Berlin police have not provided a comprehensive public account, while they assert Ince attacked officers and say an evidence team recorded the incident; authorities report about 30 arrests and six injured officers at the Wedding protest.
- The police union labeled the events as hate demonstrations and accused participants of abusing assembly rights, as Die Linke leaders condemned the officers’ actions and questioned protections for parliamentary observation at protests.