Status: 01/27/2023 04:55 a.m
In Grevesmühlen, the district council of Northwest Mecklenburg voted in an emergency session for the construction of container accommodation for asylum seekers and refugees in the Upahl industrial park. Around 700 people protested in front of the building – including right-wing extremists. Some tried to get into the building. There were tumultuous scenes.
On Thursday evening, the committee gave the go-ahead for the construction of the controversial container village for up to 400 refugees in Upahl with a narrow majority. In front of the meeting building in Grevesmühlen – the old malt factory – around 700 demonstrators loudly aired their dissatisfaction with the project in the early evening. According to the police, there were also a number of people who belonged to the right-wing spectrum among the demonstrators – as well as well-known right-wing extremists from the region and hooligans. According to an NDR reporter, the mood was very heated.
District assembly under police protection – demonstrators tried to penetrate
Police prevented some of the protesters from entering the building.
While inside the district council representatives were debating the construction of the container accommodation, the noise of whistles penetrated the building. A tense situation ensued when a protester broke into the building under pretense and attempted to open the door from the inside to allow others to enter the building. They banged loudly on the windows.
Several investigations initiated
Quick action by the police prevented the group from entering the building. Several investigations have been initiated. Only 30 spectators were allowed in the hall. Initially, around 60 police officers were on site, but additional forces were requested to reinforce them. Later that evening, around 200 demonstrators were still outside the building.
Further information
The first containers will be set up from March
In Upahl there is resistance to a planned container village for refugees.
In the past few days, protests against the planned facility had formed. With a view to the neighboring municipality of Upahl, it is too large. At the meeting, the objections of local residents were heard. There was an emergency motion to abandon construction altogether. Other motions aimed for a capacity limit of 250 residents. But shortly after 8 p.m., the district council finally voted to build the accommodation – with the originally planned capacity of 400 residents. The facility is to be built on a site owned by the Northwest Mecklenburg Economic Development Corporation in the Upahls industrial area. According to District Administrator Tino Schomann (CDU), the first containers should be set up from March 1st.
District Administrator Schomann: “I understand the concerns of the residents”
“The district council has now decided to implement the planned accommodation, even if there was of course a long discussion on this topic at the meeting and will continue to be,” said Schomann after the meeting. He pointed out that this step had become necessary because one wanted to prevent sports halls from being used for accommodation. “I understand the concerns of the local residents and can only assure that we will do everything we can to minimize the burden on them.”
Schomann announced a dialogue event on February 3rd in Grevesmühlen. “But it remains the case that this is a temporary emergency solution and both I and the district council would wish we had had better alternatives.”
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