An AfD member of the state parliament is attacked by a guest with an ashtray in a restaurant in Schwerin. He is taken to a hospital. The AfD speaks of an escalation of political violence.
AfD member of the state parliament Martin Schmidt was pelted with an ashtray in a bar in Schwerin and injured his head. A 52-year-old first insulted the politician on Friday night and then attacked him with an ashtray, the police said. The deputy was taken to a hospital. The AfD Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliamentary group said he left this again on Friday morning.
According to police, the attacker stated that he held left-wing political views and that he had acted for political motives. The 52-year-old is now being investigated for dangerous bodily harm and insults.
AfD state leader Leif-Erik Holm said this was a further escalation of political violence from the left. “The attack is also the result of the agitation and propaganda against our party that has been going on for months.” The AfD parliamentary group leader, Nikolaus Kramer, spoke of a cowardly attack. “Violence against politicians, regardless of party, is an attack on freedom of expression and democratic discourse.”