Berlin school group flees holiday camp after racist abuse
A school group from Berlin fled a holiday camp after allegedly being racially abused and threatened by other guests, police said Monday.
Law enforcement were called to the site in the eastern region of Brandenburg overnight into Sunday after the teenage pupils, most of whom were of an ethnic minority, were allegedly hurled racist abuse by another group attending a 18th birthday party.
The teacher supervising the Berlin school group, who were participating in a maths workshop, ended the trip prematurely after the incident.
Officers subsequently escorted the school children from the Frauensee camp, southeast of Berlin by the Heidesee Lake.
The regional police unit responsible for politically motivated crimes was investigating the alleged verbal assault and potential incitement to hatred, a spokesman said.
READ ALSO: What Germans really think about the country's racism problem
According to German daily Tagesspiegel, officers took the names of 28 individuals at the holiday site, although it was not clear if all were suspects.
A number of those involved were inebriated or wearing hoods, police told the paper.
Some of the school group were said to be "shocked" by the incident, according to the father of a pupil quoted by the BZ daily.
"We strongly condemn any form of xenophobia and racism," the head of the camp Nora Runneck said in a statement.
"I will not put up with such attacks and we must not," said Berlin's education minister Katharina Guenther-Wuensch.
The school children would be offered appointments with a physiologist to help them process the incident, she said.
The incident showed the need for more "educational work with young people", said Ludwig Scheetz, the head of the Social Democrats in Brandenburg's regional parliament.
"We can no longer play down right-wing extremist activities," Scheetz said.
In recent years, Germany's eastern states have been a hotbed for far-right activity.
Last month, teachers from Brandenburg wrote an open letter to decry racist behaviour at schools, including Nazi salutes by children.
The far-right Alternative for Germany party currently leads most polls in the state, where elections are due in 2024.
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Law enforcement were called to the site in the eastern region of Brandenburg overnight into Sunday after the teenage pupils, most of whom were of an ethnic minority, were allegedly hurled racist abuse by another group attending a 18th birthday party.
The teacher supervising the Berlin school group, who were participating in a maths workshop, ended the trip prematurely after the incident.
Officers subsequently escorted the school children from the Frauensee camp, southeast of Berlin by the Heidesee Lake.
The regional police unit responsible for politically motivated crimes was investigating the alleged verbal assault and potential incitement to hatred, a spokesman said.
READ ALSO: What Germans really think about the country's racism problem
According to German daily Tagesspiegel, officers took the names of 28 individuals at the holiday site, although it was not clear if all were suspects.
A number of those involved were inebriated or wearing hoods, police told the paper.
Some of the school group were said to be "shocked" by the incident, according to the father of a pupil quoted by the BZ daily.
"We strongly condemn any form of xenophobia and racism," the head of the camp Nora Runneck said in a statement.
"I will not put up with such attacks and we must not," said Berlin's education minister Katharina Guenther-Wuensch.
The school children would be offered appointments with a physiologist to help them process the incident, she said.
The incident showed the need for more "educational work with young people", said Ludwig Scheetz, the head of the Social Democrats in Brandenburg's regional parliament.
"We can no longer play down right-wing extremist activities," Scheetz said.
In recent years, Germany's eastern states have been a hotbed for far-right activity.
Last month, teachers from Brandenburg wrote an open letter to decry racist behaviour at schools, including Nazi salutes by children.
The far-right Alternative for Germany party currently leads most polls in the state, where elections are due in 2024.
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