German police are invesitgating a case of suspcted arson at a future refugee shelter in Bautzen. The former hotel was set to house up to 300 new arrivals in March.
70 firefighters battled the blaze, preventing it from reaching nearby buildings. Some onlookers applauded the fire. Two people were arrested for obstructing the work of the police and emergency workers.
Thomas Knaut, Spokesperson of Bautzen police:
"During the firefighting operations there were several onlookers, some of them quite young and drunk. They shouted at police and firefighters and some seemed to be quite happy that the building was on fire and would not house refugees anytime soon."
One local resident says the incident is a symptom of a bigger problem which needs to be faced.
Claudia Steidte, Bautzen Resident:
"I do ask myself: 'where does all this fear come from?' I think it is worth it to try to understand, because we will not get around it. I don't want to totally condemn this. This is a symbol that shows us that there is a huge problem. And we need to address that, everyone. We need to exchange our opinions."
The fire comes just days after a mob blocked refugees from moving into a shelter in the village of Clausnitz. Video of those events was widely shared on social media platforms in Germany.
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