18 injured in German rival protests over migrants

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Local police, backed up by officers from across Germany, were out in force to keep both sides from clashing. But as the rallies cleared, scuffles took place among small groups.
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Police are also examining at least 37 possible offences, including bodily harm, property damage and resistance against law enforcement officers. A television crew from regional broadcaster MDR said they were also assaulted they were while filming scenes of a protest from an apartment building. Away from Chemnitz city centre, a 20-year-old Afghan man suffered light injuries after he was assaulted by four masked men. Police said they were investigating if the perpetrators counted among demonstrators. 'Get off our sofas' Scenes of men chasing down foreigners in Chemnitz and chanting "foreigners out" have rattled the country.SEE ALSO :Chelsea complete signing of lethal striker
On Sunday, two smaller demonstrations against xenophobia passed without disturbances. Another major event is expected on Monday, when German punk band Die Toten Hosen leads a free concert against racism. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called on Germans to take a stand against xenophobia. "We have to get off our sofas and open our mouths," he told Bild am Sonntag, stressing that "all of us have to show the world that we democrats are the majority and the racists are the minority." "The silent majority must get louder," he said.SEE ALSO :German politicians' data hacked
The tensions in Chemnitz have underlined the divisions in Germany over Chancellor Angela Merkel's decision three years ago to keep Germany's borders open to asylum seekers, many fleeing war in Syria and Iraq. Misgivings run particularly high in Saxony state, where Chemnitz is located, over the arrival of more than a million asylum seekers since 2015.