German school students in Starnberg try to spring teen from cell Published duration 26 July 2019

image copyright DPA image caption A window at the police station was broken as a crowd hurled bottles and stones and demanded the boy's release

School end-of-year parties are often riotous affairs, but they rarely end with 100 teenagers laying siege to a police station.

That was the scene in the lakeside Bavarian town of Starnberg on Thursday night, after police were called to a party and arrested a boy, described as drunk and aggressive.

The teen was put in a cell, prompting schoolmates to seek his release.

Police said the crowd threw bottles and tried to break down the front door.

What happened at the party?

First reports of trouble came at 21:45 local time (19:45 GMT), hours into a summer party at Starnberg's Gymnasium or secondary school, to which students, teachers and friends had been invited.

According to the school, a private party was taking place on a footpath just outside the school and that is where things got out of hand.

A 15-year-old boy had approached a security guard asking for drugs and had gone on the rampage, police said. Police were called but the schoolboy, who was described as drunk, remained aggressive and was ordered to leave the party.

When he refused, "policy custody was all that remained", they said. Some of the boy's friends tried to intervene and one of them reportedly tried to kick a policeman in the head.

Riot at the police station

By the time the officers had reached the police station, a crowd of up to 100 people had formed outside. The head teacher was unable to say whether pupils from his school were among them.

Around 50 people threw bottles and stones, and some of them tried to force their way in to free him. A window was broken and the police sign at the entrance was torn down, a police statement said.

Some 70 extra police were called in and a 19 year old was temporarily detained on suspicion of trying to release a prisoner and damaging property. Security at Starnberg police station was stepped up for the rest of the night.

As for the 15-year-old who sparked the whole thing off, reports say he was handed over to his parents and taken to hospital for treatment for a headache. He tested positive for alcohol and drugs, Süddeutsche Zeitung said.

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