Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots

Lichtenhagen in relation to Rostock

The Riot of Rostock-Lichtenhagen took place in August 1992 in Rostock, in the Lichtenhagen quarter. It is one of the most extreme xenophobic riots in post-war German history. Stones and molotov cocktails (petrol bombs), were thrown at a house used by asylum-seekers. But unlike in other cities, nobody was killed. At the height of the trouble several hundred militant right-wing extremists were acting with the support of about 3000 men from the neighbourhood.

The role of the media and politicians in these riots remains unclear. Several hundred asylum-seekers had been waiting for some days outside the building with little or no access to basic facilities, this led to an escalation of tension in the neighbourhood. Moreover, people were paid by TV crews and photographers for several specific acts.

The riot started with young people from the neighbourhood throwing stones on the first day which was contained by the police, but media coverage encouraged Neo-Nazis to roam the area. This led to a situation where a xenophobic mob outnumbered the police by day three. While the original asylum target had been evacuated on the second day, the mob stormed a neighbouring house where 115 Vietnamese immigrants had, in the confusion, been left. Coverage of the house, which had been set on fire, was broadcast widely on the third day with a hint that firemen were not able to enter the area. Fresh police forces dispersed the pogrom mob by the fourth day. It took almost ten years to prosecute four hundred and eight people.

Timeline

Background

People from the neighbourhood had been protesting by letter on the social situation in the area. However, the Rostock administration continued to run the Central Admission Point for Refugees or "ZAst" ("Zentrale Aufnahmestelle für Asylbewerber"), unchanged in Rostock-Lichtenhagen. Rostock-Lichtenhagen is a Plattenbau or housing estate containing 6925 homes for about 18,000 inhabitants.

The following timeline was reconstructed by the "Parliamentary Investigation Committee on the Events around the ZAst" („Parlamentarischer Untersuchungsausschuss zu den Ereignissen um die ZAST“)

The night of 22/23 August

From about 1800 a large crowd assembled before the ZAst and started actions at 2002. The situation quickly escalated and led to police officers retreating from the area at 2246. Incoming police units were attacked with molotov cocktails at 2302. Another police unit from Schwerin arrived at 2324. Water cannons were in constant use. Between 0134 and 0234, the rioters were pushed back towards the B103 federal highway. One water cannon vehicle was set on fire by a molotov cocktail at 0225. Rostock police command escalated the emergency level at 0230 and police were issued with riot control equipment. Starting at 0230, tear gas was fired at the crowd and the situation calmed down until 0530.

The night saw 160 police officers facing 300 rioters. 13 police officers were injured and 9 rioters were arrested.

23 August

The situation was considered to be unsolved and Rostock police commands asked for support from other police departments at 1115. Squads from Schwerin, Anklam, Stralsund and Güstrow were concentrated with two more water cannons from the Landespolizei Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Additionally two federal action brigades (Einsatzhunderschaft) from the BGS border patrol guards were activated. Undercover police officers reported the arrival of 30 well-known Neo-Nazis in the area at 1415.

The night of 23/24 August

At 1845 about 400 rioters started attacking the ZAst; by 1918 they had resorted to molotov cocktails. The police swept the area clear, using water cannons, by 2000. During the ensuing street fighting, police fired live ammunition (at 2030). The action was ineffective and at 2200 the tactical leader reported the situation would be out of control within 30 minutes without further reinforcements. At 2230 a police car was set on fire and at 2241 a state police emergency (Landespolizeialarm) was declared.

The state emergency allows police forces to concentrate at federal level. It should be noted that most police forces in Germany do not face riots and there had been no riots previously in the relatively rural federal state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The larger towns of Hamburg and Berlin have action brigades who are trained in anti-riot tactics. These units have police officers that have faced real rioters before in the Hamburg districts of Flora and Hafenstraße). Consequently Hamburg did send out its SEK and MBK, or special response units. These riot police units (normally about 100 men), were reinforced by two police dog squads from Kiel, the action brigade from Lübeck and helicopters from the federal police.

The 2nd Hamburg action brigade entered the scene at 0255 and the 1st Hamburg action brigade arrived at 0345. The situation calmed down until 0410 with the Hamburg brigades taking tactical control for the rest of the night. Due to the reinforcements there were 850 police officers facing about 500 rioters. 70 police officers were injured and 130 rioters were arrested.

24 August

The Hamburg action brigades started to evacuate the ZAst at 1400. They were watched by a large crowd, some of whom announced new attacks at 1600. Intelligence reported that rioters were organizing a phone command structure and that attacks would hit the police squads only if the ZAst asylum house was empty.

The night of 24/25 August

At 1945, the fresh 4th State action brigade of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was due to replace the exhausted Hamburg brigades who had been on duty for twenty-one hours. An order to give up protection of the ZAst came at 1955. - it is unclear if the order was intended for all the police on site or only for the Hamburg brigades.

During the withdrawal from the ZAst building federal agents reinforcing the 2nd Hamburg brigade came under attack at 2000 - at this point there were about 3000 people on the street. Squads from the Hamburg brigades - that had already left the scene - pushed back through the crowd with batons drawn trying to relieve their colleagues. Eye witnesses reported a level of aggressiveness unmatched by other events incudling the Hamburg riots. The 1st Hamburg brigade and the 4th state brigade reached the encircled officers at 2015, water cannons were used and riot lines were formed. At 2015 federal agents from the rail transport police came under attack and squads from the 1st Hamburg brigade were obliged to come to their aid.

One water cannon was broken at 2040. At 2120 the 4th state brigade covered the withdrawal of the 1st Hamburg brigade. At 2134 the second water cannon ran out of water - the 4th state brigade of about 100 men was now facing some 800 rioters. The water cannons were back in action at 2237 and the police cut a path through the crowd to allow firemen to enter the area. At 2255 the 1st Hamburg brigade was taken off-duty after 25 hours and the 2nd Hamburg brigade at 00:00. The 4th state brigade started its duty at midnight on the remaining 300 rioters and the situation calmed down at about 0030.

At 0200 about 400 rioters started a coordinated attack on the police in the area. The police were ready with counter measures. At this point 7 water cannons were in action and the complete area (across multiple streets), was swept clean of about 1000-1200 protesters. The situation was brought under total control by 0300. Overall 117 police officers were injured and 58 rioters were arrested. The night actions included 2050 police officers facing about 2000 active rioters.

Trivia

"Barbecue in Rostock", is a song by Neo-nazi band No Remorse; it was inspired by the riots.