The Trier police headquarters reported that a large contingent of officers had to prevent a planned confrontation “in the area of Trier-Nord” on Monday evening. Shortly after receiving a tip, a patrol found a group of up to 15 cars in the exhibition grounds parking lot, but they moved away when they saw the police car, reports Junge Freiheit.
The police reportedly managed to stop one of the group’s cars and confiscated “several cutting and stabbing weapons, from knives to an iron bar.” Investigations have been launched against the Syrian-born passengers in the vehicle; they have also been banned from staying in the city of Trier.
The responsible police director then declared a special operation and intensified the search for the other potential participants in the planned mass brawl. The Trier police were supported by the criminal investigation department, the surrounding police stations, and the federal police.
According to the police, the reason for the planned mass brawl could have been an argument the day before in which a Syrian “got into a fight” with a group of Lebanese. One Syrian hit on the head with an object by a Lebanese man had to be treated as an outpatient in a hospital.
The reason behind the argument was presumably triggered by “hostility due to the current Middle East conflict,” according to the police statement.
Reports from earlier this month indicated large numbers of fleeing the Israeli conflict with Hezbollah into Syria, including both Syrians and Lebanese. One poster on X called the scenes of Lebanese fleeing to Syria “unbelievable” and a complete “role reversal.”
UNHCR also reported back on Oct. 8 that over 250,000 had fled the violence in Lebanon and taken refuge in Syria, saying that 70 percent were Syrians who had previously fled their own country due to the civil war there to seek refuge in Lebanon.
During this time, Lebanon shut down border crossings to block Syrians fleeing to safety and also prevented aid from getting to them. Prior to this, tensions had already been high between the two peoples due to the Syrian occupation of Lebanon from 1976 until 2005, leaving a legacy of human rights abuses against the Lebanese people. Syria did not even recognize Lebanon as an independent state until 2008.
Now, as migrants have fled violence and abuse in both countries, these people have brought their clashes to the cities of Europe.