The scenes of the Stuttgart-based violence and excess have shaken the Republic. But what happened at the weekend in the otherwise quiet provincial capital, was only seems to be the culmination of a chain of new “rage events” that have accompanied us in the past few weeks: Hygiene Demos, Anti-Lockdown-marches, racism protests: Germany is in turmoil.
of Course, the motives and methods of people involved in solidarity with George Floyd, are different from those going off in Stuttgart on police officers. Nevertheless, the anger seems to be potential for Violence in Parts of the society in the past few weeks has increased. The assumption is that this also has something to do with Corona to.
Corona-restrictions as a fire accelerant?
A call to Ulrich Wagner, a psychology Professor and violence researcher at the University of Marburg. He also recognizes a growing readiness to use violence against police officers, the leave on the basis of crime statistics show. However, in the case of Stuttgart a number of factors: the classic elements of youth violence, and an already turbulent social climate mix from his point of view.
All News about the events in Stuttgart you can find in our News Ticker: The News Ticker – a riot in Stuttgart, Germany: police prepare for possible further violence.
“An aversion to state institutions is particularly to the fore when there are special occasions: for example, the Corona restrictions. The displeasure with such long-term restrictions may feed the violence under”, says Wagner. A “Finally-back-celebrate-mentality” could be considered a part of the cause of the recent riot attacks against officials seen. However, the outbreak of violence from the Saturday alone, with a “Corona-pressure valve” the same afflict, “is too simple”, believes the violence researchers. Much more important are the immediate factors that night be.
Why escalated to the situation in Stuttgart?
“On the Schlossplatz in Stuttgart, there is no specific political issue, but at the Moment, in which the police are addressing a single Person and presence, it can come to a new group formation,” analyzes the psychologist.
And so it happened. As the forces controlled a 17-year-old German on drugs misuse, has transformed the previously loose crowd suddenly in an angry Mob. For Wagner, this behavior is quite typical, “because violence and provocations against police officers suddenly become a common theme and incite the people”.
More security through more police presence? Violence researchers have any other solution for makes sense
How, though, scenes like last weekend, in the future, prevent? The experience with previous outbreaks of violence show that politicians and the authorities tend to be in these situations, often to a kind of Upgrade-Reflex, says Wagner. The idea: more security, more presence. And also this time it seems to be so. Compared to FOCUS ONLINE the chief of the German police Union, Rainer Wendt, said about the need to be in the future, with even stronger forces present on the ground, in order to operate de-escalation.
A strategy whose success is not keeping violence researchers Wagner for the right way: “It will bring nothing, if the police presence with hundreds. This either leads to further escalations or displacement effects – that is, people will find another place where you can live it up“.
more Important, a better networking of the different actors involved in dealing with riot-makers and young people groups, such as the youth welfare office, social workers and the judicial system. This would be much involved to the police deployment, increasing the risk of escalation increases.
“social workers or police in civilian clothes have a very different effect than officers in Uniform, if you punish the violations or appeal. Also Remove individual troublemakers, or inflamer in the Form of place has proven itself in such situations as an escalating measure. These instruments must not come in addition to the deterrent to short,“ says Wagner.
Stuttgart: street workers from violence was not surprised,
Stuttgart’s street workers the events of the weekend have, however, hardly have someone surprised. On the contrary, they would have already announced it over a longer period of time, explains Hans-Jürgen Mauch, of the Evangelical society of Stuttgart Mobile youth work. In the past, have ranged from “often a false view, in order to give occasion for hard clashes”.
the change in The de-escalation tactics represents for Wagner, therefore, an important Instrument to prevent a “conflagration of violence.” He fears that the video recording of the Stuttgart rioters to meet in the social media on copycat. Whether the number of Assaults on officers increases in the future, depends the according to experts, in addition to the economic consequences of the corona of a crisis. The number of unemployed should be fast after the crisis further to the above, is also likely to be more Attacks. Stroke avoid: Three measures FOCUS Online stroke avoid protect: Three measures to protect
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