Germany: Protest in Dortmund against racism, police brutality

Crowds of protesters in Germany took to the streets of Dortmund on Saturday to demonstrate against racism and police brutality.

Those gathered were marking the death of a Senegalese teenager who died after being shot in the German city last year.

Police had been called to an incident at a foster home on August 8, 2022, because the 16-year-old refugee had allegedly threatened to harm himself with a knife.

Officers claimed the teen, identified as Mouhamed Dramé, had run toward them with a knife, whereupon they used pepper spray and two tasers before he was shot with an automatic pistol.

German news agency dpa reported that one officer had been charged with manslaughter.

His superior officer was charged with incitement to dangerous bodily harm and three other officers were charged with dangerous bodily harm, dpa reported.

“Our mother's heart is still bleeding," said one protester who read a letter at the demonstration on Saturday which he said was from Dramé's family.

The incident sparked a debate in Germany about police violence against minorities and their handling of cases involving people with mental illness.