Riots broke out between the police and activists in front of an armaments production facility in Kassel. Police officers were thrown at construction site objects and used pepper spray and batons against the demonstrators, said a spokeswoman for the Kassel police force. Police were not aware of any injuries as of Friday morning. In addition to the police officers, a police helicopter was also used.
The anti-militarist alliance “Rheinmetall Disarming” is directed against arms deliveries from Rheinmetall and other armaments companies, also in connection with the war in Ukraine. In Kassel, entrances to the production site of Rheinmetall’s competitor Krauss-Maffei Wegmann were blocked to prevent the start of the shift. The activists succeeded in doing this, as a spokesman for the organization said.
The nationwide alliance has under the slogan “Disarming Kassel is (not) an art!” called for a protest camp and actions against war, rearmament and isolation. The multi-day protest is planned until Sunday.
