Justice for Lorenz

On the night of Easter Sunday 2025, Lorenz was shot dead by police in the city center of Oldenburg. Lorenz was hit by four shots - three of them from behind. Lorenz was only 21 years old. Since then, there have been protests against racist police violence in Oldenburg and throughout Germany. We and many others are sad, horrified and angry about Lorenz's far too early violent death and the racist atmosphere in Germany.

That is why we as the “Justice for Lorenz” initiative are campaigning for a comprehensive and independent investigation into the night of the crime and for consequences. The “Justice for Lorenz” initiative is an association of relatives, friends, individuals in solidarity, activists from United Against Racism Oldenburg and counselors from the nationwide online counseling Penager.

Lorenz's death is not an exceptional case

Lorenz's death is not an exceptional case. The German police are structurally racist. Time and time again, police operations end fatally when black and marginalized people are involved. This was also evident near Oldenburg in recent years with the death of the Yazidi Qosay Khalaf in Delmenhorst in 2021 and the killing by police gunfire of the refugee Lamin Touray in Nienburg in 2024. For an accurate analysis of the problem, it is therefore important for us to emphasize the context of the racist German dominance society despite our focus on Lorenz.

The “Death in Custody” campaign has counted 264 deaths of Black people, People of Color (PoC) and people affected by racism in custody or due to fatal police violence since 1990 [1].
According to the count and documentation by “Civil Rights & Police/CILIP, more people were shot dead by the police in Germany in 2024 than in any other year documented by them since 1976. And even in 2025 (as of May 6, 2025), according to their count, 10 people have already been shot dead by the police in Germany [2].

Remembering Lorenz

It is also very important for us to emphasize something very fundamental:
Lorenz was a human being.

Lorenz was a son - a brother - a friend - a child of the city of Oldenburg - a part of our community. Many people knew, liked and loved Lorenz and miss him bitterly. We will forever say his name, remember him and make sure that the world does not forget him.
Especially in the face of the racist and inhuman slander that Lorenz experienced in parts of the press and in comment sections after his death [3], we want to remember Lorenz as a loved one who was violently snatched from life.

Since his death, the site in Oldenburg city center has been visited and honored by thousands of people. Many have laid flowers, candles or other symbols of mourning remembrance there.
Tens of thousands have already demonstrated in Oldenburg and throughout Germany in support of Lorenz and all people who have experienced and continue to experience racism and violence at the hands of the police.
This gives us courage and hope in our common fight for
justice for Lorenz!