After the tumultuous protests in front of the district council meeting building in Grevesmühlen against the decision to build refugee accommodation, the police initiated four criminal proceedings. The district council was about a new refugee accommodation that is to be built in Upahl near Grevesmühlen in north-western Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

A police spokeswoman said on Friday that two cases were being investigated for violating the Explosives Act and one each for serious trespassing and violation of the Assembly Act. The number of suspects has not yet been clarified, it said. Among other things, film material is still being evaluated, and witnesses have to be questioned.

The reason for the investigation was a protest meeting with around 700 people, from which participants tried to force their way into the district council hall. About 120 officials had to shield the district council participants and prevented this when the atmosphere was heated. Individuals would have violated the right of assembly with disguises, others are said to have thrown pyrotechnics and smoke pots.

At its special session in the evening, the district council then approved the construction of the Upahl refugee accommodation. Up to 400 people are to be accommodated there in a container building on a district property in an industrial area. Construction is scheduled to begin in March. Critics complained that the refugees were to be housed too far outside of a city and thus many contact points in a small village.