Statement on the death of Lorenz due to police violence

5 May 2025

There was a fatal case of police violence in Oldenburg on Easter Sunday. Lorenz, a 21-year-old man, was killed by police with four shots from behind. He had been in conflict with others beforehand and then ran away from the police. He sprayed irritant gas and was chased through the city without any consideration and killed by a 27-year-old police officer. Why Lorenz ran away from the police explains the everyday fear that is built into every confrontation without mutual consideration. What played a role in the escalation was the constant everyday racism that people with a history of migration, like Lorenz A., are exposed to.

In a country where the Oury Jalloh case is consistently not dealt with by institutions and the police repeatedly carry out racist identity checks and right-wing tendencies become entrenched, it is only understandable if Lorenz had no trust in officers. Structural racism as a component of state power is thus reinforced instead of combated, and such drastic reactions as using a firearm are usually directed at migrants and BIPoCs. When it comes to these people, police interventions often end in escalation, with no regard for basic rights and, in the worst case, deadly.

However, racism in society, in everyday life and among the police is not a natural human condition. That is why it is not just about the Lorenz case, it is about the individual and collective responsibility of the police to take consistent action against police violence. There needs to be a serious debate about the rights and duties of the police. Solidarity is needed for the victims of police violence, also on the part of the police, other legal institutions and committed civil society. We need the will to clarify the situation in a spirit of solidarity. Especially in times of the rise of the New Right, democracy must be upheld in the population and the institutions of the state. Right-wing acts of violence are on the rise and politics is following suit - not even in a natural state. Not only the AfD, but also the governing parties are taking part in the right-wing agenda, thereby fueling a climate of fear and division.

However, from the Black Lives Matter movement to demonstrations against the right on 2024, it is clear what this continuity of violence is directed against. When a large part of the civilian population exercises solidarity, everyday life gains an anti-racist content and harmful habits are broken down. This is a good first step! However, the profound consideration for one another that is needed to bring about change does not end with criticism of the AfD. The CDU, SPD and the Greens must also be criticized and held accountable for their misanthropic policies.

We must also take a stand against right-wing agitation and racist structures, especially at public institutions. Among other things, universities have the task of contributing to civil conflict resolution. It is therefore our duty to use public spaces and speak out. We also notice on campus that migrant students and BIPoCs feel exposed to a threatening social situation and with International Solidarity we have the key to the development of a better culture, and beyond that socially effective for equality and civil social relations. This feeling is fueled, for example, by increased police presence and a heated atmosphere in society. We take this fear very seriously and want courageous people to stand together against all forms of discrimination and humiliation for a solidary alternative - here and now!

Full solidarity for Lorenz and all other victims of police violence!

No step to the right, no step to fascism - equality requires empathy.