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Increase in attacks on parties in Upper Lusatia: Alarming numbers!
Bautzen in focus: Increasing attacks on parties - 102 incidents since 2021 in Upper Lusatia, especially before elections.
Increase in attacks on parties in Upper Lusatia: Alarming numbers!
In the first half of 2023, a total of 20 attacks on party members were registered in Upper Lusatia, especially between Hoyerswerda and Zittau. This is a worrying development that has been observed in the region since 2021 and is loud saechsische.de documented a sharp increase in incidents. These attacks included not only direct injuries, but also insults, taunts and damage to party offices. Politically active members of the AfD were most frequently affected, followed by the Greens. In Upper Lusatia alone, 102 incidents have been recorded since 2021, with a sad peak in 2022 when 28 attacks were counted.
A worrying trend
The numbers show a clear picture: attacks on politicians and party members are increasing. According to Statista, there were a significant number of police-recorded acts of violence against party representatives in Germany in 2024. This data, released on January 31, 2025, is alarming. The comparison between the different parties represents a further dimension of this problem bpb.de thematised.
Attacks seem to increase, especially during election times. A chronology of events since the first election campaigns shows how widespread this violence is. Examples worth mentioning are the attacks on SPD members in Berlin and the destruction of a Green Party voting booth. Verbal attacks are unfortunately the norm and not the exception, as evidenced by the increasing number of 5,400 politically motivated crimes in 2023 - an increase of 29% compared to previous years. The Greens and the AfD in particular are often the target of such attacks.
The role of election campaigns
Many experts point out that election campaigns are particularly sensitive times for politically active people. Attacks are increasing, which is increasingly endangering the political culture and democratic coexistence in Germany. Initiatives to improve fairness in election campaigns, signed by leading parties, are a first step in the right direction. Nevertheless, the question remains whether the upcoming new elections in February 2025 will see the tightening of laws against politically motivated crimes - a plan that is still being discussed in political committees.
Given these facts, it is essential that society addresses the issue of violence against election campaigners in order to create a safe and respectful environment for political work. The prevailing brutalization of political discourse and the increasing courage to commit attacks pose a serious threat to our democratic principles.