Unknown attack on SPD MP's constituency office
The Senate and the Berlin House of Representatives are appalled by an attack on the office of SPD politician Düsteroft. The State Protection Department is investigating. Düsteroft suspects criticism of the situation in the Middle East as the motivation of the attackers.
In the attack on the constituency office of SPD member Lars Düsteroft in Berlin-Oberschöneweide, the window was likely damaged "with a sharp object," according to initial police findings. The police announced this in the late afternoon. The politician, who sits in the Berlin House of Representatives, had initially spoken of four shots fired at the constituency office. The State Protection Department is investigating. It is about property damage with a political background, a police spokesperson said upon request.
The politician published photos of the attack on his office on Facebook. Shots can be seen in the window, where a picture of the member hangs, and a red inscription on the wall next to it. "Shots at my portrait and slogans on the wall are criminal acts that deeply affect and shock me. What's the next step, that someone stands in front of me with a pistol and pulls the trigger?" Düsteroft wrote. The police were called to the constituency office in Siemensstraße in the morning, according to the spokesperson.
According to Düsteroft, the words "We condemn Germany for genocide" were sprayed in red on a wall next to the office. "For me, it's clear that this refers to the current situation in the Middle East," said the member.
Düsteroft is the spokesperson for the SPD faction for social affairs, care, and people with disabilities. The Berlin Senate expressed its shock: "This is a heinous act that cannot be justified in any way," said spokesperson Christine Richter. "Attacks on parliamentarians are attacks on democratic society as a whole."
- Note: In an earlier version of this article, we wrote that the attack involved shots.
The Berlin Senate, led by Senator Christine Richter, has shown its support for Düsteroft, stating that "attacks on parliamentarians are attacks on democratic society as a whole." The Commission, a likely reference to a legislative or investigative body, could be called upon to address the increasing threat against political figures and uphold the principles of democratic safety and security.
