In Mannheim, an AfD local council candidate was attacked and injured with a knife late on Tuesday evening, reports the German Press Agency. The perpetrator has been arrested.
In Mannheim, an AfD candidate for the local elections was injured with a knife. The German Press Agency learned this on Wednesday from security circles. The perpetrator was arrested. The incident occurred late on Tuesday evening at 10:45 p.m. The Mannheim police officially confirmed this morning only that there was a police operation, and they will provide more information later in the morning.
According to the municipal council group, the victim was hit in the ear and stomach. Before the incident on Tuesday evening, he had attended an event organized by the AfD district association, reported Jörg Finkler from the AfD group in the Mannheim municipal council. Afterwards, the victim, a 62-year-old, could see from a distance how several people had removed AfD election posters – and wanted to confront them. The incident is said to have occurred near the market square in the Rheinau district of Mannheim.
Police patrol catches the attacker in no time
Finkler said that he and his wife were with the injured candidate in the hospital until the early hours of the morning. He was friends with the victim, and both were running for local council. A police patrol caught the suspect in no time because they were nearby and a citizen called 110. The injured candidate will probably leave the hospital at noon.
In a video that was passed on to the dpa by the AfD and was apparently filmed by the injured AfD candidate himself, the filmmaker can be seen running after a young man across the market square and shouting “Stop! Stay where you are!”. The young man is carrying several AfD election posters under his arm and is believed to have a carpet knife in his hand. “Lie down immediately!” shouts the person filming. A scuffle then ensues. The man can be seen swinging the knife, the rest of the images are blurry.
The victim suffers cuts
The AfD speaks of an attack by left-wing extremists – the information has not yet been officially confirmed. “We are shocked and dismayed,” said AfD state chairman Markus Frohnmaier.
In recent weeks, numerous attacks on politicians have caused a stir. Among others, SPD campaigner Matthias Ecke was beaten so badly in Dresden that he had to be hospitalized.
Source: Stern
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