"Increasing brutalization"

German Green politician harassed by a mob

Green politician and Bundestag Vice-President Katrin Göring-Eckardt(Bild: APA/AFP/John MACDOUGALL)

German Green Party politician Katrin Göring-Eckardt was recently reported to have been harassed by an angry mob last weekend. The Vice-President of the Bundestag was unable to drive away in her car for almost an hour after a party event in East Brandenburg. The Ministry of the Interior condemned the disruptive action.

Around 40 to 50 demonstrators had gathered in front of the event hall, Göring-Eckardt's office told the "Bild" newspaper. After the end of the event, the Vice-President of the Bundestag was harassed on her way back to her vehicle. Only when the police called for reinforcements was she allowed to leave after 45 minutes. The police reported that a 19-year-old and a 26-year-old man had sat in front of and behind the official car and prevented her from leaving. The two are being investigated for coercion.

Faser: "Has nothing to do with democratic protest"
"Such attempts at intimidation have nothing to do with democratic protest," wrote Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) on the X platform (formerly Twitter) on Thursday. "We should never forget where political aggression can lead. All democrats must oppose the increasing brutalization," Faeser emphasized.

Green politician and Bundestag Vice President Katrin Göring-Eckardt calls for better protection.(Bild: APA/AFP/John MACDOUGALL)

Göring-Eckardt: "This incident was no exception"
The Green politician called for better protection. "The state police forces urgently need to think about how they secure political events in the countryside and agree on uniform criteria as to what standards they actually apply," Göring-Eckardt told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND). "This incident was no exception."

In January, farmers prevented German Economics Minister Robert Habeck of the Green Party from leaving a ferry after returning from a private trip to the North Sea coast. They wanted to confront the Vice-Chancellor about the forthcoming agricultural reform plans.