Until this day my home town was usually described as peaceful, if not boring. I suggest reading the article linked below for the facts.
I arrived at the location at 6pm, when most of the violence had already happened. A colleague who had been there earlier said that he had witnessed the police literally beating the youths out of the park. I also talked to a paramedic I happen to know. He reported that (apart from many others) he had treated a 10-year-old with his face beaten bloody. There are rumours of a man losing an eye after being hit by a water cannon. A press photographer reported that he was shot down by a water beam without any warning although he had been clearly marked as press. After that, he tried to avoid the water cannon, but was followd by it (so much for the police action being in self-defense). Later on, they were advised by police via loudspeaker to gather at a certain are of the park, and followd the order. Only to be wetted again after arriving, and he said it didn't look the least bit like an accidental shot.
The state inner secretary justified the police course of action by some of the pupils throwing stones. Later they had to admit this being untrue.
But what really drives me mad is the quote of Peter Hauk, caucus chairman of the ruling Christian Democratic Union in the state parliament of Baden-Wuerttemberg: "I find it irresponsible of fathers and mothers not only to have their children there, but to put them in the front row,"
These childern were not put there by anyone, they were on a demonstration officially approved of by the municipality, and if the police was not informed about that it is an even bigger scandal.
While I'm not really in favour of this new station all the mess is about, I think that with some adjustments it might be a really fine thing. However, if Thursday's action does not lead to at least the inner secretary losing his job, I will definitely lose my faith in our system. Well, there are elections next March...