extremism
Green Party politician attacked in Dresden
In Dresden, a politician was again attacked while hanging up election posters. A few days ago, SPD candidate Matthias Ecke was seriously injured. photo
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
Just at the end of last week, SPD candidate Matthias Ecke was seriously injured in an attack in connection with the hanging of election posters. Now there was violence again – again in Dresden.
A 47-year-old Green Party politician is hanging up election posters Dresden was attacked by two people. Shortly afterwards, police officers identified a 24-year-old and a 34-year-old as suspects, as the Dresden Police Department announced on Tuesday evening.
A police spokesman initially did not want to say who the person attacked was. It was said that the male attacker pushed the politician aside while hanging up election posters last night, insulted her and threatened her. He is also said to have torn down two posters.
According to the information, a 24-year-old woman came along and suddenly spat on the politician, who was accompanied by helpers and a filming team. The police found the two in close proximity. The 34-year-old German is being investigated for bodily harm, threats, insults and damage to property and the 24-year-old German is being investigated for bodily harm.
Hitler salute before action?
Because the two were said to have previously stood with a group from which the Hitler salute was said to have been shown, they are also being investigated for using the symbols of unconstitutional organizations. Both suspects remained at large, the police spokesman said.
Just last Friday, the SPD’s leading candidate for the European elections in Saxony, Matthias Ecke, was beaten up in Dresden by four young men aged 17 and 18 when he wanted to put up election posters. The Saxony State Criminal Police Office (LKA) considers at least one of them to be on the right-wing spectrum. Shortly before the attack on Ecke, according to police, the same group had probably injured a Green Party campaign worker nearby.
Yesterday, the federal and state interior ministers met for a special meeting in light of the attacks and also spoke out in favor of tightening criminal law to better protect politicians and election campaigns.