On New Year’s Eve, the window of the Cologne constituency office was thrown in by Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD). The state security has started the investigation, said a police spokesman. The Cologne “Express” had previously reported on the attack.
Lauterbach told the German Press Agency on New Year’s Day that due to previous damage to property with slogans and corresponding threatening emails, he assumed that the renewed attack on his office was carried out by the ranks of radicalized vaccine opponents and corona deniers.
“These people do not represent society, where the overwhelming part is really sticking together and trying to do everything against the pandemic,” said the minister. “You represent a very small splinter group that self-righteously believes that they have to take a different path here and that got lost in the process. That’s just sad. “
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On December 10, the office was smeared with slogans such as “Minister of Disease”, “Murderer” and “Psycho Lauterbach”. When exactly at the turn of the year the more than fist-sized hole was punched in the window of the shop is unclear, it said from the local SPD club.
Several politicians speak of an attack
There was another incident in Saxony: In Zwönitz, a window in the constituency office of the CDU member of the Bundestag Marco Wanderwitz was damaged. The investigations would indicate the use of pyrotechnics, said a spokesman for the Chemnitz Police Department on Saturday evening.
The damage was found on New Year’s Day, and a report was received for damage to property. The police did not initially provide any further details; the background was unclear. The newspaper “Freie Presse” had previously reported. From 2020 until the most recent change of government, Wanderwitz was the federal government’s commissioner for the east.
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Politicians from several parties commented on the incident on Twitter and some of them spoke of an attack. CDU General Secretary Paul Ziemiak expressed his “full solidarity”. “There is no justification for it. This attack is not a form of protest, it is simply criminal, ”he writes. The Federal Political Director of the Greens, Michael Kellner, tweeted: “Full # solidarity with my colleague Marco @wanderwitz. Violence has no place in the democratic debate. “
Carsten Schneider (SPD), the successor of Wanderwitz as Eastern Representative, wrote: “This attack on @wanderwitz’s office is further evidence of the radicalization and disinhibition of parts of the population. It is not an isolated case either, but has meanwhile become a sad method. “(dpa)