#Germany
#ACAB
#Hamburg
#G20 Protests in 2017
#Violence
#Repression

“Now to you, you Hamburg butcher”

During the G20 summit in Hamburg, protesters were injured by police. One victim received compensation, and police chats surfaced during the investigation. In them, a police officer bragged about violent acts. An excerpt from "Right Against Right – Report 2025."

As a reminder: On the morning of July 7, 2017, around 200 mostly masked demonstrators marched toward the city center in Hamburg and clashed with police. Several of the demonstrators suffered broken bones after a dozen of them fell down a wall about three meters high—or, as the victims described it, were thrown off.

A video recording from a police vehicle documents an officer commenting on his colleagues' actions: "They really flattened the whole lot of them, eh?"
“Flattening” remains without consequences

The Hamburg Public Prosecutor's Office had to reopen only six of the 157 investigations against police officers that had been discontinued after a nearly five-year review by the Public Prosecutor's Office. In one of the 151 discontinued investigations, the Hamburg Administrative Court at least confirmed the excessive use of police force.

In April 2024, in a settlement between the Hamburg police authority and the anti-globalization non-governmental organization Attac, the Hamburg Administrative Court awarded €800 in damages to an activist who suffered, among other injuries, a four-centimeter laceration to the back of her head caused by police violence during a non-violent blockade. The Hamburg police authority must pay €400 each in damages to two other Attac activists who were also injured because they were so severely injured by the use of batons that they required hospital treatment.

The settlement followed seven years of protracted investigations and grueling delaying tactics by the public prosecutor's office and the courts for the victims. In any case, the perpetrators in uniform no longer have to fear criminal investigations in this case.

This also applies to a second case in which the Hamburg Police Department had to pay compensation for pain and suffering after a settlement was reached before the Hamburg Regional Court in June 2021: The educator and flamenco dancer Lola D. received compensation totaling 4,770 euros after a police officer broke her fibula during an operation on July 8, 2017 in Hamburg.

It was the day after the serious riots in Hamburg, and the mood in the Hanseatic city had gradually eased slightly. Around 20 young people started the peaceful protest "I'd rather dance than G20" at the Pferdemarkt in St. Pauli, with which they hoped—as participants later stated—to create a positive atmosphere.

A video made by the police themselves then showed several officers suddenly running and not only dismantling the music system into its individual parts, but also beating the young people without warning.
Impunity despite compensation

In the case of Lola D., the payment to the police can legally be interpreted as an admission of guilt by the institution. However, if the Hamburg public prosecutor's office has its way, the specific perpetrator will never have to answer in the dock. The circle of suspects has been significantly narrowed.

Of the approximately 29,000 police officers deployed during the G20 summit in Hamburg, internal investigations have identified only three as suspects. Although the officers are wearing uniforms and helmets in the video footage, hardly any individual physical characteristics are visible. However, the uniformed attacker clearly bears the marking "BFE 1160": This is the abbreviation for the Evidence Preservation and Arrest Unit (BFE) of the Baden-Württemberg Police Headquarters, Bruchsal Directorate.

Although the circle of suspects could be quickly narrowed down in this way, the responsible public prosecutor's office in Hamburg discontinued the proceedings several times, arguing that further investigations were futile. The Hamburg District Court also initially rejected searches of the homes of the three alleged suspects "for reasons of proportionality."

After the Hamburg Public Prosecutor's Office was forced to reopen the discontinued investigation following a complaint by lawyer Dieter Magsam, who represents the injured party, the Hamburg Regional Court ruled that a search of the suspects' homes was indeed proportionate.

During the raids in February 2023, new evidence was indeed uncovered on technical devices. In an internal investigative memo, the Hamburg police wrote that the chat histories of officer Christian K., in particular, provided clues "that strengthen the suspicion that the accused [K.] is the perpetrator. In addition, various conversation contents were discovered as incidental findings that indicate a high propensity for violence and inhumane behavior on the part of the accused [K.]."
When the police come to strike

On July 28, 2017, police sergeant K. received a message via chat – an excerpt of which is reproduced below, including spelling errors: "How was it in Hamburg?" someone wanted to know. K., then 28 years old, replied: "Terrible. All that violence and destruction." Then came the explanation: "That was a joke. It was really good." He said he had "handed out a lot of punishment" and "just hope I don't get any mail from Hamburg." The mail arrived – but apparently there was little cause for concern.

A few months later, one of K.'s chat partners opens the conversation rather discreetly with: "Now, it's your turn, you Hamburg butcher." He's certain: "They won't get me!" While "that chick" has filed a complaint, K. is nonetheless relaxed about the fact that colleagues from the Hanseatic city are now traveling to the Bruchsal police headquarters to investigate: He considers it "totally unnecessary," because "you can't see a thing" in the video.

K.'s message histories reveal, even independent of the incidents at the G20 summit, that the officer enjoys using violence. When a friend asks him if he ended up at the Hertha BSC Berlin stadium out of personal interest, K. replies: "No, I'm here to hit."

Once he wrote to a contact who was saved as “Mom”: “Today I was finally able to hit someone for the first time in a long time,” that was “really satisfying,” but “Now home, couch, and beer.”

The investigation documents show that K. deleted many message histories from 2017. Some of them could be reconstructed, but it's not always clear which message was written by which person. The chats also reveal how conversations between police colleagues can unfold.

Two officers express their need to "beat up idiots and [the N-word] again." In one instance, the mission objective is described in a friendly exchange as: "You're supposed to beat up ticks in North Rhine-Westphalia." Later, an officer writes about the mission that he is "extremely satisfied with his personal outcome." "At the end, one officer, who may have run against my squad, asked over the loudspeaker van for someone to take him home... he couldn't walk anymore..."

In the same conversation, it is then said: “I can no longer write about my incidents, you know cell phone analysis.”

At one point, K. wrote to a colleague: "I doubt the intelligence of every police officer who isn't a racist." In another chat history, which has been deleted and where, after being restored, it remains unclear which of the two conversation partners is responsible for which contribution, either K. or a colleague complained: "Got up at 2:00 a.m. to protect a German airport from an ass-fucking specialist."

They agree that, given the "conditions in the country," an enclave would be good, perhaps under the name "National Socialist Republic of New Germany," a "country in which we live well and happily," "somewhere in the jungle. Then we can look for Mutti Merkel's house and tell her something." - "Or do completely different things with her."
“Highly problematic attitude to service” and no charges

The Hamburg Public Prosecutor's Office determined that officer K. "has a highly problematic attitude to duty from our perspective." However, this statement is not contained in an indictment, but in a dismissal notice from October 2023, which declares the investigation against the police officer closed. While a review of K.'s data files did reveal indications "that he used violence during his Hamburg operations and enjoyed doing so," the findings did not allow the accused to be proven "with the certainty required for criminal prosecution" that he had struck Lola D. in the leg.

K's lust for violence and his "highly problematic attitude toward duty" are known within the police force, but so far there have been no consequences. Disciplinary proceedings against K have been underway at the Baden-Württemberg Operations Directorate since April 2024. The review of the "very extensive criminal file" is currently still ongoing, a police spokesperson announced, first in September and again in December 2024. Furthermore, according to the Bruchsal Police Headquarters, they are not providing any information on the details of ongoing disciplinary proceedings or their expected duration.

The proceedings and charges relating to the police's G20 operation continue unabated: Meanwhile, the Hamburg Higher Regional Court must decide on the admissibility of charges against a police officer against whom the Hamburg Public Prosecutor's Office brought charges in December 2023 – seven years after the G20 summit – for inflicting massive bruises on a man at the Bismarck Memorial in Hamburg during the protests on July 7, 2017."

https://netzpolitik.org/2025/polizeichats-so-jetzt-mal-zu-dir-du-hamburger-schlaechter/