Older individual physically assaults Green Party member.
Marie Kollenrott, a Green Party member of parliament, was assaulted during a political event in Göttingen. The occurrence has triggered indignation amongst politicians from various parties. This recent attack is part of a pattern of similar incidents happening frequently.
At a city centre election gathering in Göttingen, Kollenrott, a Lower Saxony representative for the Greens, was attacked and suffered minimal injuries. Authorities and the Green parliamentary faction are investigating the matter. According to initial police reports, a man repeatedly assaulted the politician in the torso region. Kollenrott received mild harm on her arms.
The assailant, identified as a 66-year-old man, was detained near the crime scene shortly after the incident. The State Protection Office has since assumed charge of the investigation.
Kollenrott reports that the attack happened at a campaign booth. She described how one of her arms was gripped before images of her injuries were captured by the police. She opted against seeking medical treatment. Kollenrott has served as a Lower Saxony lawmaker since October 2021. Her interests include environmental and energy matters.
Stephan Weil, Lower Saxony's Minister President, remarked, "It's unacceptable that politicians are repeatedly subjected to physical violence during campaigns. This is a concerning trend. Our democracy can only function if individuals are free to share their beliefs publicly." Weil urged caution.
Anne Kura, leader of the Green parliamentary faction, responded, "We detest the attack and condemn it wholeheartedly. Acts of violence against democrats are affronts to our democracy. We are shocked but will not allow ourselves to be intimidated." Kura emphasized that violence must never form part of political disputes. Sebastian Lechner, head of the Niedersachsen CDU parliamentary group, declared his unequivocal disapproval of the "cowardly attack on Kollenrott." He stated that the perpetrator should face strict legal consequences.
Authorities suggest that the man from Göttingen expressed disapproval of the Greens at the height of the campaign stand, near the Old Town Hall, in a pedestrian zone. Following a brief political discussion with the victim, the man walked up and assaulted Kollenrott in her upper body. He then retreated from the scene, prompting Kollenrott and a witness to pursue and involve the police.
There have been a series of violent assaults on politicians and campaign helpers in recent weeks, sparking widespread indignation across the country. In Dresden, Matthias Ecke from the SPD was severely beaten, Yvonne Mosler from the Greens was assaulted and threatened while distributing posters, and in Berlin, an attack was directed at Senator Franziska Giffey from the SPD. Attacks on representatives of the far-right Alternative for Germany party have also been reported, such as a Lower Saxony parliament member a few weeks ago.
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- The assault on Marie Kollenrott, a Green Party member and Lower Saxony representative, occurred during the election campaign, underscoring the concerning trend of violence against politicians in democratic societies.
- The Alliance 90/The Greens, along with other political parties, have strongly condemned the attack on Marie Kollenrott, emphasizing that democracy thrives on the freedom to express political beliefs without fear of violence.
- Stephan Weil, the Minister President of Lower Saxony, has expressed his support for Kollenrott and called for a serious investigation into the incident, stressing that violent attacks on politicians during election campaigns threaten the very foundation of our democratic processes.
Source: www.ntv.de
