An old hotel being converted into a refugee center for asylum seekers went up in flames early Sunday morning in the eastern German town of Bautzen:
Anti-migrant mob in Germany 'cheered' as refugee shelter burned down in front of them https://t.co/J88UQ6czXo pic.twitter.com/xFlglhcAzp
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) February 21, 2016
Huge blaze rips through planned refugee centre in Bautzen, Gemany: https://t.co/KSxZdoMk5Bhttps://t.co/yYOeCUOxil
— Ruptly (@Ruptly) February 21, 2016
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
There are reports from the scene that onlookers cheered the blaze and possibly even interfered with the firefighters trying to put it out:
People not only cheered when a future refugee home burned down in #Bautzen, some also hindered fire brigade from extinguishing the fire.
— Laura Moore (Schneider) (@alauraschneider) February 21, 2016
A future refugee home burned down in German town Bautzen today. People outside were clapping and cheering. @szonline pic.twitter.com/ZiSfZPwgiA
— Laura Moore (Schneider) (@alauraschneider) February 21, 2016
German officials horrified by anti-migrant mobs in eastern state @AFP https://t.co/sSXTpDulBC #Bautzen #Clausnitz pic.twitter.com/9YT1k54Z0S
— Deborah Cole (@doberah) February 21, 2016
From the AFP:
A group of 20-30 apparently drunken onlookers applauded as fire took hold in a former hotel being converted into home for asylum seekers in the town of Bautzen in Saxony state overnight. Police suspected arson and traces of fire accelerant were found.
Some members of the group tried to impede the work of firefighters dispatched to the scene, police said.
A police spokesman said that the group showed “unabashed delight” at the blaze and made “disparaging comments” about the efforts to contain it.
No one was hurt in the incident. Two 20-year-old men were temporarily detained for defying police orders.
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Tensions between Germans and refugees are high, to say the least. Yesterday, there was an incident after a bus filled with refugees was met by protesters in the eastern German city of Clausnitz:
Shock video shows radical mob shouting at frightened refugees in eastern Germany #Clausnitz https://t.co/F3PM8iamCS
— Mathieu von Rohr (@mathieuvonrohr) February 20, 2016
Neo-Nazi protesters terrorized a bus full of refugees arriving in Germany https://t.co/M76kBmwJrs
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) February 21, 2016
Pro-refugee demonstrators took to the streets today to protest yesterday’s anti-refugee display:
https://twitter.com/ori_no_co/status/701531560705712128
Germany, you have a problem. Time to wake up.
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