Germany just imported America’s race problems, and now thousands are protesting a police shooting that, ironically, appears to have happened exactly as police describe it.
At a Glance
- Thousands of protesters have taken to German streets after police shot Lorenz A., a 21-year-old Black man who allegedly assaulted nightclub security with pepper spray
- Despite police claims he threatened officers with a knife and pepper spray, the fact he was shot three times from behind has fueled accusations of “structural racism”
- The officer who fired has been suspended pending a homicide investigation, showing how quickly European authorities fold to mob pressure
- Germany, which rarely experiences police shootings, is now importing American-style racial activism despite vastly different policing contexts
- Rights groups including Amnesty International Germany have jumped on the bandwagon, demanding investigations into “structural racism” rather than individual accountability
Another European Country Discovers the “Racism” Industry
Germany is getting a taste of America’s favorite pastime, and I don’t mean baseball. Between 8,000 and 10,000 protesters flooded the streets of Oldenburg, Germany, with thousands more demonstrating in other cities including Berlin, all demanding “justice” for Lorenz A., a 21-year-old Black man shot by police. The narrative being pushed? That German police are infected with “structural racism” and gunned down an innocent Black man who was merely fleeing the scene. Sound familiar? It should, because this playbook has been perfected by American activists for years.
The facts of the case tell a different story. According to police, Lorenz A. had already assaulted nightclub security with pepper spray and was threatening others with a knife when officers arrived. He allegedly approached officers “menacingly” while brandishing the pepper spray. Yet because a coroner’s report showed the three fatal shots struck him from behind – in the head, upper body, and hip – activists have declared this an open-and-shut case of racist police violence.
The Predictable Political Response
Just as night follows day, the institutional response was swift and entirely predictable. The officer involved has already been suspended and is under investigation for homicide – not manslaughter, but homicide – before a full investigation has even been completed. Police Vice President Arne Schmidt offered the obligatory statement that the incident “has deeply moved many people, including within the police force.” Translation: we’re already preparing to throw our officer under the bus before we have all the facts.
“Several shots from behind cannot be justified. No one deserves to become a victim of police violence. The police should de-escalate situations. Trust in an institution that is supposed to protect us is at stake.” – Suraj Mailitafi.
Suraj Mailitafi, who conveniently appointed himself spokesperson for “Justice for Lorenz,” offers the tired talking point about “de-escalation.” Let’s consider what that actually means here: a suspect who has already assaulted people with pepper spray, threatened others with a knife, and then confronted police with the same pepper spray should have been… what, exactly? Given a stern talking-to? Asked politely to please stop assaulting people? The absurdity would be comical if the consequences weren’t so serious.
The Global Grievance Industry Expands
What’s particularly striking is how Germany, a country where police shootings are genuinely rare, is now importing the American grievance industry wholesale. Amnesty International Germany didn’t waste a moment before calling for investigations into “structural racism” in German police forces. This despite the fact that German police kill a tiny fraction of the people American police do, and the racial dynamics and historical context of the two countries are entirely different.
This is the playbook: take an individual case with complex circumstances, strip away all nuance, declare it an example of systemic racism, organize massive protests based on incomplete information, and demand wholesale institutional change. It’s a formula that’s been refined to perfection by American activists and is now being exported globally. The facts barely matter – what matters is the narrative and the political pressure it generates.
When Facts Become Inconvenient
Here’s what’s being conveniently overlooked: Lorenz A. wasn’t some innocent bystander. He had already assaulted people with pepper spray and was reportedly threatening others with a knife. Police weren’t randomly targeting a Black man – they were responding to a violent incident in progress. The question of why he was shot from behind certainly warrants investigation, but the immediate leap to “this was obviously racist” reveals this is about political opportunism, not justice.
The real tragedy here is that German police, who have historically maintained a much better record on use of force than many other countries, will now face the same pressure to retreat from proactive policing that has devastated American cities. When officers become hesitant to engage with potentially dangerous suspects for fear of becoming the next scapegoat, it’s law-abiding citizens who suffer the consequences.
Germany is learning what America already knows: once the racism industry gets its foot in the door, facts and context become secondary to narrative and activism. The only question is whether German institutions will show more backbone than their American counterparts have in standing up to this emotional blackmail masquerading as a justice movement.
