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Simson Rally in Zwickau Attracts 6,000 Visitors

Simson Rally in Zwickau Attracts 6,000 Visitors
The Simson Meet has been held in Zwickau since 2002. / Photo: Sebastian Willnow/dpa
From: DieSachsen News
The festival drew thousands of young people to Zwickau. Although some officers were injured, the police consider the event a success overall.

Nearly 6,000 people celebrated the iconic mopeds from the GDR at the Simsontreffen this past weekend. According to police, the four-day festival at the Zwickau airfield was attended primarily by teenagers and young adults. The organizers thanked the visitors for an “unforgettable weekend.” “Whether on the racetrack, in front of the stage, or at the campground—you created an incredible atmosphere!” they wrote in a Facebook post.

In the end, the police drew a largely positive conclusion. The operation went largely satisfactorily, said Senior Police Superintendent Katharina Matt, who led the police operation, according to a statement. “Nevertheless, administrative offenses and criminal offenses were recorded on all four days of the operation, though the numbers were lower than last year.” Approximately 390 police officers were on duty at the festival. From Thursday through Sunday, officers recorded 21 criminal offenses, including four cases of bodily injury. That was less than half the number from the previous year, which saw 44 criminal offenses and 18 cases of bodily injury.

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Police Officers Suffered Acoustic Trauma

Among the assault offenses was an incident on Friday evening in which, according to initial reports, three police officers aged 35 to 45 suffered acoustic trauma. According to reports, the officers were patrolling the festival grounds as part of a communications team when a 25-year-old man riding a quad bike without a muffler pulled up next to them and then accelerated rapidly. He was ordered to leave the premises.

Another 25-year-old is also under investigation for possession of unauthorized fireworks and narcotics. When police intervened after he set off the fireworks, he admitted upon questioning that he was also in possession of drugs. The officers found just under 100 grams of cannabis and a tile with traces of amphetamines. He, too, was ordered to leave the premises.

Seven anti-constitutional offenses

The police also recorded a total of seven offenses with an anti-constitutional background at the Simsontreffen. Following a recommendation by the police, the event organizers imposed a ban on all individuals involved from the premises.

The multi-day Simsontreffen describes itself as the largest festival of its kind. Thousands of fans of the iconic GDR moped flock to the Zwickau airfield every year. In recent years, the Simson Festival has also made headlines because participants have repeatedly drawn attention with Nazi gestures and slogans. The organizers emphasize that the festival is a non-political event and that anti-constitutional symbols are reported to the authorities.

This year, the Jewish descendants of the Simson family criticized the AfD’s co-opting of the brand. The party uses the popular moped in its election campaign, among other things. The Simson family was persecuted during the Nazi era and forced to sell the factory in Suhl in 1936; Simson mopeds were later manufactured there during the GDR era.

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