Mass brawl with 80 people in Essen

Several participants and two police officers were injured in a mass brawl between at least 80 people late Friday evening in Essen, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. On Saturday, a police spokesman said several people had been taken to hospitals. Police were deployed with a “larger unit” and a helicopter. It is unclear how many people were injured in the alleged “clan crime clash”.

The fight broke out around 9:30 pm in front of a restaurant. According to the information, many more spectators were added, so that the last 113 people were on site. Iron bars and knives were later found at the scene of the fight. The police remained on duty until after midnight. The spokesman said that “reconnaissance procedures” are currently underway to see if there is another argument on Saturday.

Police are also investigating whether there was a link to a fight with multiple injuries in Castrop-Rauxel, about 30 kilometers away, which also took place on Friday evening. At the moment, the personal details of those involved in the altercation in Essen must still be established, the spokesperson said.