Attack in Berlin
Man attacks Franziska Giffey with a hard object – politicians and police worried about “spiral of violence”
Watch the video: Man attacks Franziska Giffey – SPD leader calls for “quick punishment”.
Video source: RTL
Before the European elections, attacks on politicians are increasing. After several attacks in Dresden, the former Governing Mayor of Berlin, Franziska Giffey, has now become a victim.
After the physical attack on Berlin’s Economics Senator Franziska Giffey, Brandenburg’s Interior Minister Michael Stübgen condemned brutality on social networks and threats against politicians. “Unfortunately, we have had this spiral for years, and this year we are dealing with a violent spiral of physical attacks on politicians, which worries me extremely,” said the CDU politician, who currently heads the Conference of Interior Ministers, on Wednesday RBB24 info radio.
He also sees brutalization towards fire and rescue services, for example, which “has also increased massively in recent years”. Therefore, the criminal law protection of charitable activities should be better expanded.
Stübgen spoke of a development in which volunteer politicians and campaign workers who were not special representatives were being massively attacked throughout Germany. “In our opinion, these areas are not adequately protected by criminal law. We are therefore asking the Conference of Justice Ministers to address this issue.” Stübgen described local voluntary political work as the “foundation of our democratic constitutional state, and here criminal protection is not enough.”
Politicians and police condemn the attack on Franziska Giffey
The GdP police union also condemned the attack on Giffey as a “sneaky attack”. “The attacks on elected officials have increased in recent years, hate comments are made on social media and verbal violence creates a breeding ground for physical violence,” said state leader Stephan Weh in a statement on Wednesday. “Instead of exchanging opinions and confronting arguments, today people are rushing and hitting.” This seems to be normal now, but it shouldn’t be. “Politicians, police officers, firefighters and volunteers are in the spotlight because they themselves put a lot of effort into helping others.” It is time for sustainable measures to be taken to protect them. “We need better criminal protection for officials and elected officials as well as strengthening the police and judiciary in terms of personnel and technology so that they do not become targets.”
Giffey was slightly injured in a physical attack in the Rudow district on Tuesday afternoon, as police and public prosecutors announced on Wednesday night. A man suddenly attacked the SPD politician in a library “from behind with a bag filled with hard contents and hit her in the head and neck.” The Police State Security has taken over the investigation.