Unlawful actions or deeds. - Increased violence against political figures and party centers in Brandenburg.
In Brandenburg, there's been a rise in attacks against politicians and political figures, particularly in a super election year. The police documented 75 politically-motivated crimes targeting mandate holders, officeholders, and party representatives between January and March this year, as per the Interior Ministry's responses to queries from Left-wing MP Andrea Johlige. This is a 33% jump compared to the first three months of 2023, with 55 attacks recorded.
In the first quarter of 2024, the Green party experienced more than 20 cases of crimes against politicians, whereas the AfD party saw over ten. Additional victims included politicians from the CDU, FDP, SPD, and the Left, along with a Bavarian state parliamentarian from the CSU. The federal government was also hit with some crimes. The ministry disclosed a total of 55 crimes and 55 suspects under investigation. With municipal and European elections on June 9 and a new Brandenburg state parliament on September 22, the situation seems tense.
More attacks on party offices
The number of crimes against party offices saw a hike as well. The police found 16 politically-driven offenses against parliamentary and party offices, mostly property damage. The Greens bore the brunt in ten of these cases, including defacing the constituency office of Green Bundestag member and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock in Potsdam. SPD, AfD, and the Left suffered in two cases each, while ten such incidents happened in the same period last year. This is a 14% increase.
The previous year witnessed a significant spike in the number of attacks on politicians, parliamentarians, and party representatives in Brandenburg. The police recorded 224 cases in 2024, 73 more than in 2022, as disclosed in the Interior Ministry's responses to Left-wing MPs' inquiries. The number of attacks on offices of state parliamentarians and Brandenburg Bundestag members rose slightly, from 31 to 32.
