Raids in the Ruhr region following riots at pro-Kurdish demo in Dortmund

Violence against police and businesses

During the riots, a Syrian restaurant and a snack bar in the city center were also attacked. "Dabei kam es zu einem Angriff auf ein syrisches Restaurant in der Innenstadt", according to the police report. A snack bar was also smashed up, and cars were damaged as well.

Investigators identified 31 suspects after the incidents. "Die Ermittler fanden 31 Verdächtige", reports the responsible office. 19 of them have since been identified and must now answer to the judiciary.

Charges against 19 accused

According to the news agency dpa, the accused face charges including assault, property damage to cars, the display of banned flags, the ignition of pyrotechnics, serious breach of the peace, and attempted prisoner liberation, among others. Police officers were also pelted with firecrackers: "Bei der Demo waren Polizisten mit Böllern beworfen" worden, the investigators report.

Following the incidents, the police had set up an investigation commission. This analyzed videos and social media posts, among other things, to reconstruct the sequence of events and identify those involved. "Die Behörden hatten danach eine Ermittlungskommission eingesetzt", according to the police report.

Investigations and searches on July 8, 2026

On the morning of July 8, 2026, searches were carried out in several cities in the Ruhr region against participants of the pro-Kurdish demo. "Im Ruhrgebiet laufen seit heute Morgen in mehreren Städten Durchsuchungen gegen Teilnehmer einer pro-kurdischen Demo", the authorities stated. Police searched apartments of suspects.

According to an agency report, the aim of the raid was the seizure of data storage devices such as mobile phones. "Ziel sei die Sicherstellung von Datenträgern wie Handys, berichtet die Agentur." This is intended to secure further evidence and identify possible accomplices.

The raid is part of the ongoing investigations into the riots, during which a Syrian restaurant had been smashed up according to police. At the same time, it is emphasized that amid the demonstration events with tens of thousands of participants across Germany, the peaceful course prevailed: "Tausende Menschen demonstrierten in ganz Deutschland gegen Gewalt in Syrien."

The news was broadcast on 08.07.2026 on the Deutschlandfunk program, as the station stated. WDR 2 Ruhrgebiet, Lokalzeit also reported on the operation on 08.07.2026 at 8:31 a.m.