After the brutal attack on SPD MEP Matthias Ecke in Dresden, solidarity rallies for the seriously injured politician took place in several cities.
In front of around 3,000 people, Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt (Greens) said at the site of the attack in Dresden-Striesen that the achievements of the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 in the GDR were a mandate for East Germans to defend democracy. She appealed to people to find a “tone of togetherness” and to listen to other people, even if they have different opinions.
:“This agitation has very concrete effects on the streets”
The violent attack on the SPD candidate Matthias Ecke is just one of several attacks in the election campaign. Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster sees this as the result of provocations, especially on the right-wing fringe.
According to initial police reports, more than 1,000 people gathered in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin that evening. Speakers announced included SPD General Secretary Kevin Kühnert and climate activist Luisa Neubauer. The Greens had scheduled another rally for the evening in Bernau, Brandenburg, among other places.
Injured in the face by punches and kicks
The SPD European Parliamentarian Ecke was attacked and seriously injured while posting posters in the Striesen district of Dresden on Friday evening. According to his party, he was so seriously injured by punches and kicks, including his face, that he was operated on in hospital. A witness assigned the attackers to the right-wing spectrum.
The 41-year-old SPD politician is his party’s Saxon candidate for the European elections on June 9th. A 28-year-old election worker for the Green Party was also attacked while hanging up posters in the same district almost at the same time. State security assumes the same group of perpetrators. Two Green Party politicians were attacked and partially injured in Essen on Thursday.
Attacks on campaign workers and posters have increased in recent weeks in several federal states. Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens) emphasized in Dresden that “democracy does not defend itself.” All people have a responsibility to work to maintain a democratic society. Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster (CDU) announced that he would do everything possible to ensure that “all perpetrators are brought to justice.” He called on the judiciary to impose harsh punishments. The attacks on politicians and campaign workers should be seen as “impairing free elections in… Germany” will be punished.
17-year-old turned himself in
On Sunday night in Dresden, a 17-year-old turned himself in to the police as a suspected attacker. The search for further suspects is being carried out intensively, said Schuster. On Sunday evening, the police announced on platform X that the suspect had not yet commented on the motive for the crime.
According to the Interior Ministry, 112 politically motivated crimes in connection with elections have been registered in Saxony since the beginning of the year. Of these, 30 crimes were aimed directly at officials or elected officials. In the first week of the election campaign, 51 politically motivated crimes were registered against individual or multiple election posters.
According to his party, Ecke is doing well after the attack under the circumstances. He was operated on this Sunday, said Saxon SPD leader Henning Homann at the state headquarters in Dresden. He suffered a fracture of his cheekbone and eye socket as well as hematomas on his face.
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser ( SPD) has announced a special conference next week in view of the incidents: The federal and state interior ministers should discuss protective measures as soon as possible.
She made a corresponding request to the current chairman of the Conference of Interior Ministers, Brandenburg’s department head Michael Stübgen (CDU). That’s what he reports Daily Mirror citing government sources. On Saturday, Faeser had already called for tough action by the rule of law and announced additional “protective measures for the democratic forces in our country”.
The Greens in Saxony have already reacted to other attacks last weekend in Chemnitz and Zwickau and are no longer sending their members alone to post posters. Other parties now also have such considerations and guidelines.