German vigilante gangs beat up foreigners after Cologne New Year's Eve attacks

2016-01-15 2

COLOGNE, GERMANY — Vigilante gangs have taken to the streets of Germany in response to the rash of molestations and robberies in German cities on New Year's Eve, which have been blamed on migrants, Reuters reported.

Mass sexual assaults and robberies of women were reported in Cologne on New Year's Eve. The assailants were described by witnesses as being of Middle Eastern or North African origin. Similar assaults on a smaller scale were reported in Hamburg, Stuttgart, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf, according to Reuters.

As of Thursday, 652 incidents of sexual assault and robbery had been reported in Cologne alone, with 331 being of sexual in nature, according to Reuters. Police are focusing their investigation on asylum-seekers and illegal migrants from North Africa.

Citing the local Express newspaper, Reuters reported that a group of vigilantes calling themselves the Rockers, Hooligans and Bouncers used social media to gather people on Jan. 10 in downtown Cologne to launch a "manhunt" of foreigners.

Police reinforcements were sent to the city at 4:30 p.m. after police were notified of the meetup, reported the Independent. Six Pakistani men were attacked by a group of about 20 people two hours later, while a Syrian was attacked by five people a few minutes later, police said. Three Guineans and another Syrian were also attacked, according to the Independent.

Around 1,700 people attended a rally organized by the Pegida movement, a far-right anti-Islam group, in protest of Germany's open-door migration policy on Saturday, reported Reuters. The rally was dispersed by riot police after someone in the crowd threw bottles and firecrackers at the officers.

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