Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig - Statement
After the verdict was announced in the trial against Alaa S. by the jury chamber of the Chemnitz Regional Court
Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig said today: "There is a judgement - we all have to respect that - me too - because we all live in a constitutional state.
How has Chemnitz changed this year? The crime and the events that followed have affected many people in Chemnitz. The sudden national attention - focussed on the images in front of Karl Marx's head - has done a lot of damage to our city. Rifts between very different political opinions have become more public on streets and squares than before. Chemnitz was a mixture of sadness and fear - but also of standing up and courage.
In the knowledge of the problems, my task is to show, together with many Chemnitz residents, that Chemnitz is more than that. Citizens are very committed to a diverse Chemnitz. This has already been visible in recent months, and the citizens' festival at the weekend sends out a strong signal."