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from: Dietmar Ernst
08 Nov 2006
18:59:53
152.163.101.7
BERLIN (Reuters) - A young woman's rooftop suicide bid in Germany sparked a mass brawl between spectators encouraging the 21-year-old to jump and a group of homeless people try- ing to protect her, authorities said Tuesday. The homeless people were angered when some teenagers in the crowd of hundreds started yelling to the woman she should throw herself from the roof of the town hall of the south-western town of Loerrach, said police spokesman Dietmar Ernst. "The homeless people started shouting at the kids not to say that, using some strong language," Ernst said. "Morally speaking though, the homeless people were in the right." A punch-up involving around 40 people then ensued, during which time police managed to coax the woman back indoors -- three and a half hours after her ordeal began. Some 35 officers, six of whom were injured during the fight, were needed to break it up. Eight participants were arrested, most of them school children aged between 16 and 19. Ernst said he was doubtful that the brawl, which involved at least one girl, had stopped the woman from jumping. "She was about 70 metres (230 feet) up and probably wouldn't have seen much of what was going on," he said.
