Protest in town of Koethen follows death of German man after dispute with migrants

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

German police called in more than 1,000 officers in an attempt to prevent violence during a far-right protest in the eastern town of Koethen on Sunday.

News agency DPA reported that water cannon and mounted police were on hand to keep the peace between far-right groups and counter-protesters.

Far-right organisations, including the anti-Islam group Pegida, say they plan to protest about the death of a 22-year-old German who died after a dispute with two migrants a week ago. Two Afghan men, ages 18 and 20, have been arrested.

Authorities say the man had severe chronic heart disease and an autopsy showed he suffered a cardiac arrest after being punched in the face.

The Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Koethen warned students to be aware of “potentially violent demonstrations”.

Fear in Chemnitz: 'I’m used to neo-Nazis, but not my neighbour mixing with them in broad daylight' Read more

Germany has recently seen the most violent far-right protests in decades, which began in the eastern city of Chemnitz after the fatal stabbing of a German man in August that has been blamed on two migrants.

The protests have reignited a heated debate about Chancellor Angela Merkel’s 2015 decision to open the country’s borders to more than a million refugees.