Jan Woitas / dpa via AP Jan Woitas / dpa via AP / dpa via AP

LEIPZIG POLICE SAY 69 officers have been injured in clashes with rioting left wing protesters and that they had to use tear gas and water cannons to disperse the group.

Some 50 police cars were also damaged in the riots yesterday evening, which started after hundreds of left wing activists demonstrated against a neo-Nazi demonstration in the eastern German city of Leipzig earlier in the day.

AFP reports 1,000 people attended the counter-protest and about 150 people were at the right-wing rally.

Sebastian Willnow / dpa via AP) Sebastian Willnow / dpa via AP) / dpa via AP)

Police said today they temporarily detained 23 people after the leftist rioters threw stones at police, erected street blocks and burned down garbage cans. The protesters also demolished store front windows and two bus stops and attacked firefighters.

It was not immediately clear how many protesters were injured in the clashes.

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