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CRIME

Berlin gunman kills one, leaves two injured

Berlin police are hunting a gunman who walked up to a group of young people on Wednesday night, and opened fire killing a 22-year-old and seriously wounding two others, before fleeing on foot.

Berlin gunman kills one, leaves two injured
Photo: DPA

The attacker, who remains on the run, approached the group of five people at around 1 am near a hospital in the southern Neukölln area of the city and shot three of them from close range. The other two escaped unharmed.

The 22-year-old died in hospital shortly after the attack – it is thought from a head wound. The other two underwent emergency operations but by Thursday afternoon were in a stable condition, police said in a statement.

Police said the injured men were of Russian and Arabic origin and aged 16 and 17 respectively. The victim who died was of Turkish heritage.

A witness living on Rudowerstrasse where the shooting took place, told the Tagesspiegel daily newspaper that she was woken up by noise outside, and looked out of the window and she saw three people lying on the ground.

“I didn’t think much of it at first, because that kind of thing is normal here,” she told the Berlin paper. It was when members of the group started screaming that she realised something serious had happened.

The weapon is still missing and the attacker’s motive remains a mystery.

“We can’t say anything at all about the background to the attack yet,” a police statement said.

“An investigation is being conducted with great urgency.”

Media reports suggest that in the light of a string of racially-based murders by neo-Nazis having been uncovered last year, police are not ruling any options out in the investigation.

The gunman is thought to be around 1.80 metres tall and was wearing a dark hooded top at the time of the attack.

DPA/The Local/jcw

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BERLIN

Disruption on roads in Berlin as farmers stage fresh protest

Farmers in Germany launched fresh protests in Berlin on Friday to call for the government to support agriculture, resulting in disruption across the city.

Disruption on roads in Berlin as farmers stage fresh protest

Berlin police said there were “considerable traffic disruptions” across the city and the outskirts and especially around Straße des 17. Juni, the government district and the Bundesrat .

Since Thursday morning, Straße des 17. Juni and other streets around the government district in Berlin-Tiergarten have been closed. There will also be closures on Leipziger Straße between Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Platz through Friday.

A planned rally is due to take place from 12 noon to 5pm on Friday with tractors and lorries around Platz des 18. März, near Brandenburg Gate. 

The action is being held to protest the government’s agricultural policies.

It comes as relief measures – including reduced bureaucracy and tax relief for farmers – went to the Bundesrat on Friday to be voted on as part of the Growth Opportunities Act.

However, farmers are still pushing for their original demand of fully keeping the agricultural diesel subsidy.

READ ALSO: Analysis: Why are German farmers so angry?

Farmers in Germany have been staging similar protests against the policies of the government since the start of the year.

Where are protests taking place?

Here’s a look at the routes farmers are expected to take in Friday into Berlin where disruption will occur:

Frohnau: From the state border via B96 Berliner Straße, Roedernallee, Lindauer Allee, Residenzstraße, Markstraße, Schulstraße, Luxemburger Straße, Föhrer Straße, An der Putlitzbrücke, Stromstraße, Lessingstraße, Altonaer Straße and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Lichtenrade: From the state border via the B96 Kirchhainer Damm to Tempelhofer Damm and then via Mehringdamm, Hallesches Ufer, Reichpietschufer, Klingelhöferstraße, Hofjägerallee and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Mahlsdorf: From the state border via the B1/5 to Alexanderstraße and then via Karl-Liebknecht-Straße, Unter den Linden, Wilhelmstraße, Dorotheenstraße, Scheidemannstraße, John-Foster-Dulles-Allee, Spreeweg and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni

Staaken: From the state border via B5 Heerstraße to Theodor-Heuss-Platz, Kaiserdamm, Ernst-Reuter-Platz, Straße des 17. Juni and Großer Stern to Straße des 17. Juni.

As we’ve already. mentioned, there will also be road closures on Leipziger Straße between Wilhelmstraße and Leipziger Platz.

Farmers at the Straße des 17. Juni early morning on Friday in Berlin in a demo for better agricultural policy.

Farmers at the Straße des 17. Juni early morning on Friday in Berlin in a demo for better agricultural policy. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Jörg Carstensen

A large police presence was in place around the federal ministries and parliamentary buildings.

“We are taking preparatory measures before the farmers’ rally so that parliamentary work can take place smoothly on Friday,” said a spokesperson for the Berlin police on Thursday. 

During previous demonstrations, tactics – such as throwing manure and blockade attempts – have been controversial. 

On one occasion in January more than a hundred farmers blocked a ferry port as Economics Minister Robert Habeck tried to return from a holiday with his wife on the North Friesian island of Hooge.

According to media reports, some of the protestors tried to storm the ferry that the Habeck and his wife were on, preventing the Green Party politician from disembarking and forcing police to intervene. 

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