Police announce increased presence after operation at occupied house in Friedrichshain

After a major operation on an occupied house in Berlin-Friedrichshain, the building now needs to be kept a close eye on. The area on Belt Street is the focus of the police and there is increased patrol activity, said a spokeswoman.

After attacks on construction workers, the police searched the large building on Thursday and temporarily arrested six occupiers to establish their identities. The six people were released, according to the police.

According to police, the former hostel is empty and is currently being occupied. During construction work on the building on Wednesday, two workers were doused with urine and injured in attacks. One man was hit in the head by a glass bottle, the other suffered injuries to his face from broken glass. Construction workers and security guards said they had been attacked several times during the work.

The police emphasized on Thursday that the operation with around 200 officers was not an evacuation, but a search. The police found striking tools, blank guns and bottles of urine that had pyrotechnics on them. The police ordered a temporary construction stop to prevent further escalations.