Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of Germany's left-wing populist party, was attacked during a campaign rally in the eastern city of Erfurt on Thursday afternoon when a man ran onto the stage and sprayed red liquid at her.
A middle-aged man was arrested after he approached the leader of the left-wing nationalist party, the Zahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW), and sprayed him with what appeared to be red paint. The man was arrested on suspicion of vandalism and defamation. The motive for the attack is currently unknown.
A local BSW spokesman said Wagenknecht's head, neck and upper body were covered in paint, with broadcaster DW reporting that the attacker used what appeared to be a “medical syringe” to spray the paint. Reports.
In Thuringia, where state elections are being held this weekend, Wagenknecht briefly stepped off the stage before returning to tell the crowd: “Some people don't want us to take power,” but added: “Do not be intimidated. We will not be intimidated.”
After the incident, she Written “Thank you for your concern and messages. I'm OK, but I'm still a little scared. But don't worry, we are not being threatened!” she posted on the social media platform.
Wagenknecht, who has served in various left-wing German parties, left the party last year after clashing with it over a range of issues including COVID-19 vaccines, lockdowns, immigration policy and the war in Ukraine. Wagenknecht founded his own party earlier this year and is aiming to win populist votes against the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD).
German left-wing leader criticized for anti-mass immigration comments https://t.co/trigxPNKwi pic.twitter.com/6XIzBb0tRO
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) July 27, 2016
From a left-wing perspective, Wagenknecht has become a leading voice against mass immigration in Germany. Discuss They argued that the influx of foreigners needed to be limited to protect home-born workers and that welfare payments to asylum seekers should be cut.
Wagenknecht has faced political violence from the far left due to his anti-mass immigration stance. At the 2016 Left Party conference in Magdeburg, members of an Antifa cell were arrested. Broke the cake The group claimed the attack was motivated by her stance that not all refugees should be accepted into Germany.
She has also been a prominent critic of German support for the Ukraine war, arguing recently that German military aid to Kiev should be halted if allegations of Ukrainian involvement in the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline are true. Wagenknecht has also called for an investigation to be opened into whether the German government had prior knowledge of attacks on Germany's energy infrastructure.
Although her party has only been around for a few months, the Zahra Wagenknecht alliance is currently in third place in the Thuringian state elections. prediction The party estimates it will secure between 17 and 20 percent of the vote, behind its predecessor, the Left Party, and the right-wing populist AfD party.
German lawmakers demand compensation from Ukraine for Nord Stream disruption and end to military aid to Kievhttps://t.co/hU0Cq00ZSN
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) August 19, 2024
