Many people were injured when protesters clashed with police in Leipzig in eastern Germany this weekend.
The protests broke out on Friday night after four people from the extreme left were sentenced to prison earlier this week for taking part in an attack on a neo-Nazi.
The protesters had set up roadblocks, started fires and thrown objects at the police. The initial estimate is that 1,500 people took part in a protest in a square on Saturday – but the actual number was probably “significantly higher”, according to local authorities.
“The senseless violence of far-left anarchists and rioters is indefensible,” said German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in a statement.
“Those who throw rocks, bottles and firebombs at the police must be held accountable.”
Around 50 police officers are reported to have been injured during the protests. An unknown number of protesters have also been injured and close to 30 people have been arrested, according to German police.
A protest has also been planned for Sunday, but it has been banned by the police.