Illegality commited - During the election campaign, CDU politician Kiesewetter sustained an attack.
In Germany, MP Roderich Kiesewetter was physically assaulted at a CDU campaign stand in Aalen, close to Stuttgart. The police report that the attacker pushed and punched him before making a getaway. There was no need for medical treatment at the scene, and the suspect is known to the police, according to a spokesperson. It is suspected that the attacker may be a local council candidate who is aligned with the Querdenker movement.
Recent months have seen a number of attacks on politicians, which have caused concern. For instance, an SPD campaigner was hospitalized in Dresden.
The incident with Kiesewetter occurred on Saturday morning at around 9:15 am, on Aalen's market square. The presumed attacker is a 55-year-old man. Later that evening, Kiesewetter posted on a platform about the incident, expressing his gratitude for the support he'd received. "I'll continue to support Ukraine," he wrote. "Your encouragement gives me the strength to stand up for democracy and freedom!" Kiesewetter's focus is on securing more aid for Ukraine, which is currently being assaulted by Russia.
Kiesewetter previously spoke with the "Schwäbische Post" about verbal assaults. Then a man provoked him. "I didn't know who he was. When I asked him to stop, he tore apart the campaign stand's roof." He wanted to take a photo as proof, but the attacker saw this and promptly retaliated by hitting and pushing Kiesewetter into a flower bed. This man caused some scratches as well. The cops showed up quickly, and Kiesewetter was willing to drop the charges if the attacker apologized.
Politicians from various parties expressed their solidarity with Kiesewetter. Nancy Faeser, Germany's Interior Minister from SPD, wished him a speedy recovery and emphasized that violence is not tolerated in their democratic system.
Ricarda Lang, Chairwoman of the Green Party and neighboring constituency representative from Schwäbisch Gmünd, posted on a platform: "When one of us is attacked, we must come together as democrats!" Bettina Stark-Watzinger, Federal Education Minister from the FDP, also shared her thoughts on the platform: "It's sadly common not to go a day without hearing about attacks on people who participate in democracy."
