Extremism: Violence in opposition to politicians – BKA chief deeply involved | EUROtoday

extremism
Violence in opposition to politicians – BKA chief deeply involved

The Federal Criminal Police Office is deeply involved concerning the sharp rise within the variety of crimes in opposition to public officers and elected representatives. In the previous 5 years, the quantity has tripled to five,400 crimes, mentioned company head Holger Münch to the “taz” newspaper. Fortunately, solely a fraction of those are violent crimes.

“But we see that dissatisfaction with state institutions is encouraging insults and threats, and also violence. And this is now becoming more frequent ahead of the upcoming elections.” The European elections are on June 9. And in September, new state parliaments will likely be elected in Saxony, Thuringia and Brandenburg.

Regarding the case of Dresden SPD European politician Matthias Ecke, who was overwhelmed so badly whereas hanging up posters that he needed to be hospitalized, Münch mentioned that this was a particularly brutal act of violence that confirmed the place political aggression can lead. “Such violence can escalate to attempted or completed murder – as we experienced in the Walter Lübcke case, for example. We are very alert and alarmed to avoid getting there.” The Hesse CDU politician was shot useless by a right-wing extremist in entrance of his dwelling in 2019.

“We urgently need to think about it”

Münch complained that narratives and enemy photos are spreading significantly on social media. “Every political actor who does not contribute to an objective discourse but instead creates scapegoats – keywords: the foreigner problem and remigration – contributes to this polarization.” The AfD has a particular function on this as a result of it has a broad presence on these platforms. “Such a presence can be used to calm or worry. And many of the AfD's publications do not help to calm people down.”

Regarding the risk to democracy attributable to crimes in opposition to politicians, Münch mentioned: “The numbers are at least an alarm signal. No one can say what the threshold is at which democracy will tip over.” Many are contemplating quitting due to the hostility, and get together membership numbers have dropped quickly during the last 30 years. “We urgently need to think about how we want to stand up for this state in Germany.”

Another assault in Göttingen

According to police, a Green Party politician was attacked at the moment at an election marketing campaign occasion in downtown Göttingen. According to present data, a person hit the state parliamentarian a number of instances within the higher physique. According to police, the girl suffered minor accidents to her arms. Officers arrested the suspected attacker shortly afterwards close to the crime scene. They established the id of the 66-year-old after which launched him. State safety has taken over additional investigations.

According to preliminary findings, the person from Göttingen had beforehand made derogatory feedback concerning the Greens close to the marketing campaign stand in a pedestrian zone close to the Old Town Hall. According to police, there was a short political dialogue with the sufferer. The man then approached the politician. He hit the girl within the higher physique and walked away. The state parliamentarian and a witness reportedly gave chase and alerted the police.

Reactions to assault

“It is and remains unacceptable that politicians are repeatedly the victims of violent attacks during election campaigns,” mentioned Lower Saxony's Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD). “What we are currently experiencing is a dangerous development. Our democracy only works if people are visibly committed to their beliefs in public,” mentioned the Prime Minister. Weil appealed to be cautious and to intervene in opposition to unbridled aggression.

“We condemn the attack in the strongest possible terms,” ​​mentioned Green Party parliamentary group chief Anne Kura. “Physical attacks on democrats are an attack on our democracy. We are shocked, but we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated.” Violence ought to by no means be a method of political battle, mentioned Kura. Lower Saxony CDU parliamentary group chief Sebastian Lechner additionally condemned the “insidious attack” on Kollenrott “in the strongest possible terms.” The attacker should expertise the complete penalties of the rule of legislation, the politician wrote on X.

dpa