Thousands rally in Germany after police kill Black man outside nightclub
Nationwide protests are taking place across Germany after a police officer shot and killed a 21-year-old Black man outside a nightclub in Oldenburg.
On Sunday, April 20, a 27-year-old police officer fatally shot a man, identified as Lorenz A., following an alleged altercation outside an unnamed nightclub in the northwest German city.
According to police, Lorenz had threatened club bouncers with a knife and pepper spray after he was denied entry inside. Prosecutors said on Monday, April 21, that preliminary evidence – including CCTV footage and witness reports – do not suggest that Lorenz had threatened anyone with a knife.
One police officer opened fire following the alleged altercation. The victim was shot multiple times, with an autopsy report finding that he was struck in the head, torso, and hip. He died in hospital that same day.
According to police, the officer who shot and killed the victim had his body cameras turned off at the time of the incident.
Civil rights activists in Germany are now rallying against the fatal shooting, which sparked concerns that the killing was a result of systemic racism within Germany’s law enforcement.
Over 10,000 people flocked to the streets in Oldenburg on Friday, April 25, to take part in a ‘Justice for Lorenz’ protest rally. Other demonstrations also went ahead in Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, and Munich over the past week.
Many have called for an independent inquiry into the alleged police racism. Amnesty International and the Black People in Germany Initiative (ISD) claimed that internal investigations by police are inherently biased, per CBS News.
Speaking on the incident to NDR, the state chair of the DgP police union, Kevin Komolka, said: “There are racism accusations because the deceased was a person of colour. There’s a mood developing painting police as trigger-happy hooligans.”
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
