Dresden, Germany – A politician from the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) and a member of the European Parliament, Matthias Ecke, found himself in the middle of a violent altercation while hanging campaign posters for the upcoming European Union election in Dresden. Ecke suffered serious injuries, including fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket, after being allegedly attacked by a group of four young men. He was subsequently hospitalized for treatment.
During the same evening in Dresden, another attack occurred when a group of youths targeted a campaigner from the Greens party. The victim was punched in the face multiple times before being kicked while on the ground, according to witnesses at the scene. The escalating violence has sparked concerns and raised alarms across the country.
On a separate occasion in Dresden, Greens candidate Yvonne Mosler faced aggression while putting up campaign posters with a television crew. Mosler was pushed aside, her posters torn down, and she was spat on by a young woman, illustrating a distressing trend of hostility towards political figures in the region.
In a disturbing incident in Berlin, former mayor and SPD politician Franziska Giffey was assaulted in a public library. Giffey was struck from behind on the head by a man wielding a bag filled with hard contents. The violence against political figures, culminating in such brutal attacks, has prompted serious concerns and vigorous condemnation from authorities.
Nancy Faeser, Germany’s interior minister and also a member of the SPD, expressed deep worry about the surge in anti-democratic violence plaguing the country. The series of attacks on politicians and campaigners has underscored the urgent need for heightened security measures and a stronger stance against such acts of aggression in the political sphere. Members of various political parties have come together to denounce the violence and call for a united front against threats to democracy and the safety of individuals in public service.