"I then clamped onto the leg and bit down"
On the way to the party conference, AfD politician Hrdy, according to his own statements, was brought to the ground by demonstrators. The former GSG-9 officer reacted - and bit. He wanted to prevent being hit again. The police are investigating the incident.
An AfD member bit a demonstrator in the leg at the edge of the federal party conference in Essen - according to his own account in self-defense. Stefan Hrdy described how the "escalating situation" developed in his view on Saturday. The 67-year-old said he encountered a blockade of AfD opponents on the way to the Grugahalle. When he got out of his car to ask a policeman to clear the way for him, he was suddenly attacked.
The delegate from North Rhine-Westphalia said: "Then I got a kick in the right leg, fell down, and two or three were on top of me, I say I fell, and then came a kick from the right. I managed to clamp onto my leg and bite, so I didn't get another kick. At that moment, police officers intervened. I was able to get up and continue on.
The "Bild" newspaper published a video of the incident. In it, Hrdy is seen approaching a police barricade. Several demonstrators stand in his way, there is a commotion, and Hrdy falls to the ground. The video does not correspond in parts with Hrdy's account - only a demonstrator is seen lying on him, whom Hrdy bites in the leg. The described kick in the leg is not visible, but the view of the scene is also obscured at times.
A spokeswoman for the Essen police stated that they were aware of the incident from the media. It was unclear whether the bitten person had filed a complaint. The investigation was ongoing. Hrdy himself stated that during his time with the GSG 9, the special unit of the Federal Police, he had learned to defend himself physically. The man he had dealt with on the street was, however, significantly younger than him and wore boots, Hrdy said. He had joined the AfD in 2016. Hrdy himself did not have visible injuries from the incident.
The AfD party conference was accompanied by massive protests on Saturday. Tens of thousands demonstrated against the AfD. There were also instances of violence. According to police reports, 28 officers were injured, one of them seriously. Larger groups with several hundred people repeatedly tried to hinder the delegates from participating or to break through barricades, the police reported on Saturday evening.
In light of the violent protests against the AfD party conference, the police are closely monitoring any reports of altercations. The incident involving AfD politician Stefan Hrdy, who bit a demonstrator, highlights the heightened tensions and potential for violence. Despite Hrdy's self-defense claim, the police investigation is ongoing to determine the full details of the incident and any potential charges.
