Attack on diversity in Bad Freienwalde: Politicians demand immediate measures!

Attack on diversity in Bad Freienwalde: Politicians demand immediate measures!

On June 17, 2025, an attack on a festival for diversity in Bad Freienwalde made national headlines. At least two people were slightly injured at the event, which had the motto “Bad Freienwalde is Colorful”. The attack, which was allegedly carried out by a right-wing group, occurred despite the presence of police with three radio patrol cars. The attackers, some of whom were masked and equipped with striking tools, harassed many of the participants, raising concerns among the organizers and the municipality about increasing violence by right-wing extremists. The situation had already been classified as tense.

Interior Minister René Wilke strongly condemned the incident and emphasized that attacks on people taking part in family and children's celebrations were unacceptable. “It shows once again that we have to stand together against hate speech and violence,” said Wilke, who also informed the police in a conversation with those affected. Mayor Ralf Lehmann (CDU) described the attack as a “disruption to the event” and stated that politicians had to react as quickly as possible to such incidents.

Political reactions and demands

The political reactions followed immediately. SPD parliamentary group leader Björn Lüttmann called for more protective measures for such events, while his CDU colleague Jan Redmann emphasized the need to protect people who are committed to diversity and tolerance. Niels-Olaf Lüders from BSW also sees the violence as a result of political failure. “We have to do more to defend our democracies,” said Lüders. AfD parliamentary group leader Hans-Christoph Berndt, on the other hand, called for criminal consequences for the attackers.

Organizer Judith Strohm appealed to the local police and region to take the threat seriously and reassess the danger situation. Meanwhile, the Bad Freienwalde high school is planning a “Pride Week” under police protection in order to set an example for diversity and integration even after the recent incidents. Despite the pressures, people are determined to raise their voices and stand against intolerance.

Overarching context of right-wing extremist violence

The increasing concern about right-wing extremist violence in Germany is also reflected in current developments. According to reports, around 32,000 people in Germany are currently organized in right-wing extremist groups, of which 13,000 are classified as violent. These worrying figures show that a new generation of young neo-Nazis is emerging in the region. The increase in right-wing extremist crimes is also reflected in the statistics, which show a sharp increase in violence of over 10% compared to previous years.

More and more political actors and organizations see such acts of violence as a systematic threat to democracy and warn against a normalization of right-wing extremist views in society. “It is essential to act now and show that we will not allow ourselves to be intimidated,” explained Lorenz Blumentaler from the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

In view of the prevailing tendencies, as observed in the last elections, in which over 40% of Bad Freienwalde voters voted for the AfD, the need for society-wide commitment against the right is becoming increasingly clear. Jann Jakobs from the “Brandenburg Shows Attitude” alliance calls for people to stand together against violence and intimidation.

These developments not only underline the need to actively combat right-wing extremist violence, but also to promote citizens' commitment to defend the values ​​of diversity and tolerance in society. It remains to be hoped that incidents such as those recently in Bad Freienwalde will not become the norm.

For further information on the background to right-wing extremist violence in Germany, you can read here: Tagesschau, RBB24, bpb.