Controversial operation | Police horses and batons against Antifa in Nuremberg

After the anti-fascist Hanna S. was sentenced to five years in prison by the Munich Higher Regional Court, protests erupted in various cities the following day. According to police, 1,200 people gathered in Nuremberg on September 27 for a solidarity rally followed by a demonstration . This was also directed against the march of the right-wing extremist "Team Human Rights," which was marching through the city center at the same time under the slogan "Together for Germany."

The police had, among other things, allowed the approximately 100 right-wing extremists to hold an interim rally at the Column for Freedom of Expression. The rally was intended to commemorate the right-wing extremist Charlie Kirk, who was killed in the USA. This sparked widespread criticism in the city: "Nazis in the Street of Human Rights – this is a low point for Nuremberg," wrote Nasser Ahmed, chairman of the SPD city council faction, on social media.

In the afternoon, a blockade broke out in the western part of the city center, during which several left-wing demonstrators were injured by horses and batons wielded by the police. The "Nürnberger Nachrichten" newspaper spoke to those affected and witnesses, as well as analyzed medical reports and video recordings – thereby confirming allegations made by activists. The result of the beatings on the part of the demonstrators was: bruises, hematomas, concussions, a fractured upper jaw, broken teeth, and an open fracture of the hand.

An activist, who calls himself Daniel to the newspaper, was trying to help a woman lying on the ground when police officers from the Bavarian Support Command (USK) ran toward him and his group with raised batons. "I raised my hands to show I wasn't doing anything," he recounts. A baton then struck his left hand so hard that the bone shattered.

According to consistent statements from several people, four female riders from the police mounted unit suddenly rode into the still-standing crowd. Panic broke out, and one woman fell and was run over by a horse. She suffered a bruise on her forearm and a graze. An eyewitness told the "Nürnberger Nachrichten" that the situation was "irresponsible" and called the operation "disproportionate."

The Middle Franconia police describe the situation differently : A police rider was attacked with a flagpole and injured her shoulder; the horse then "knocked over" a woman, the newspaper writes. The USK then intervened because of the attack. There were no injuries among the officers deployed.

Another incident occurred one street away, where USK troops blocked the path of activists to prevent a clash between the left and right-wing demonstrations. A young woman was hit in the face with a baton: "It must have happened with such force that two of my teeth broke and I lost consciousness shortly afterward," she reported. Her medical report documented a fractured upper jaw.

Several injured people report that they received help from the police late or not at all. Many did not want to file a complaint – due to a lack of trust in an independent investigation or fear of possible counter-complaints from the police.

In Nuremberg, the attacks are still causing controversy. Four days after the incident, the Interior Committee of the city parliament met on the subject – with a large crowd in the gallery. This is likely why the committee decided not to discuss the issue publicly in the future. The first of these closed-door meetings has already been scheduled.

On October 7, the Greens, the SPD, the Left List, and the Alliance Against Right-Wing Extremism sent an open letter to the city's leadership demanding clarification on the approval of the "Team Human Rights" rally on the Street of Human Rights. In his response, Mayor Marcus König (CSU) stated that he shared concerns about the "aggression, divisive tendencies, and the external impact" of the march—but that the city's hands were tied by assembly law. Intervention or a change of route were legally "hopeless."

The Nuremberg Red Aid group accuses the city of encouraging the emergence of an organized fascist scene in the region. Anyone who opposes this will be persecuted: "What we're supposed to get used to here is simple: police officers who are allowed to use any means against their enemies," a spokesperson for the solidarity organization told "nd."

A petition has now been launched against the use of police horses in Nuremberg and beyond, citing risks to both animals and humans: horses are sensitive flight animals that can react uncontrollably in noisy, crowded, and stressful situations—such as demonstrations. The signatories are demanding a state-level review of mounted units. The goal is police work that works without animals and uses de-escalation techniques.