- Prosecutors examine AfD poster in Frankfurt
Frankfurt (Oder) - Following the complaint by a Left Party politician against an AfD election poster in Frankfurt (Oder), the public prosecutor's office has stepped in. The investigating authority is currently examining whether there is an initial suspicion of a criminal offense, as a spokesperson for the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt (Oder) stated.
The district chairwoman of the Frankfurt Left Party, Anja Kreisel, is protesting against the AfD election poster with the slogan "We protect your children" and described it as "a deliberate provocation that further tests the limits of acceptability". Several media outlets had previously reported. The poster shows a man and a woman each raising an arm and touching fingertips, with three children sitting below.
The pose evokes associations with banned gestures and may fulfill the criminal offense of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations, according to Left Party politician Kreisel, who is running for the state parliament on September 22. "It is alarming and unacceptable that right-wing populist forces are deliberately working to damage the image of our city."
AfD state parliamentarian Wilko Müller, who is also running for the state parliament, described the criticism as incomprehensible, as he told the "Märkische Oderzeitung". The gesture on his election poster is an implied roof, symbolizing security and protection for children.
In contrast to the AfD's defense, some Brazilians voiced their concerns, as they see similarities between the gesture and the banned salute used by the Nazi regime in Germany. The international attention on Frankfurt's election poster spread to Brazilian social media platforms.
