Doug Stanglin

USA TODAY

As demonstrations erupted in Cologne on Saturday over New Year's Eve sexual assaults and robberies blamed largely on foreigners, Chancellor Angela Merkel called for stricter laws regulating asylum seekers.

Merkel, who has been particularly outspoken in welcoming refugees to Germany, told a two-day meeting of the Christian Democrats in Mainz that tighter restrictions would be "in the interest of citizens, but also in the interests of the great majority of the refugees who are here,” Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported.

"When crimes are committed, and people place themselves outside the law ... there must be consequences," she told reporters after the meeting, the BBC reported.

Party leaders agreed on a proposal to strengthen the ability of police to conduct checks of identity papers, and also to exclude foreigners from being granted asylum who had been convicted of crimes and sentenced to terms even as light as probation. The measures would require approval by parliament.

The sharper tone follows reports in Cologne that some 1,000 men — many intoxicated — robbed, sexually assaulted and in some cases raped women during celebrations on New Year's Eve.

"Refugees, asylum seekers, migrants, foreigners, friendly or evil, new or long-time residents: It doesn't matter," the newsmagazine Der Spiegel said in an editorial. "It seems as though the time has come for a broad debate over Germany's future — and Merkel's mantra 'We can do it,' is no longer enough to suppress it."

Police initially identified the suspects as up to 1,000 men "of Middle Eastern origin,” but later backtracked as public officials cautioned there was little information on whether those involved were migrants. Of the 32 suspects identified by police in Cologne, 22 are asylum seekers, the German Interior Ministry said.

18 asylum seekers linked to New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne

One suspect was carrying a document with Arabic-German translations of sexist phrases and threats, which mass-circulation tabloid Bild published on Saturday.

As the uproar over the assaults gathered strength, thousands of demonstrators, from the left and right, turned out in Cologne for a day of protests Saturday.

The protesters included the anti-Islamic PEGIDA movement and the right-wing extremist Pro Cologne party. At one point, police fired tear gas and used water cannon to break up a PEGIDA rally after protesters threw firecrackers and bottles at officers, Agence France-Presse reported.

One group carried signs saying, "No violence against women." Another banner read, "Migrants out."

Demonstrators from the political left chanted, "Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here," Buzzfeed reported.

Some 1,700 police, many in riot gear, were on hand to control the crowds, the DPA news agency reported.