Protester throws dog poop on woman far-right politician in Germany

Beatrix von Storch, a representative of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, was subjected to an assault by a protester who smeared her with dog poop during an event in the western region of Rhineland-Palatinate. The incident occurred on Friday evening in the small town of Daun. A 35-year-old man entered the venue and approached von Storch. Under the pretense of wanting to take a photograph with the speaker, he proceeded to soil her with dog feces. Local law enforcement stated that the assailant, who remains unidentified, was swiftly apprehended by officers but did put up brief resistance when being restrained. On Saturday, in a video message shared on X (formerly known as Twitter), Beatrix von Storch, who serves as the deputy leader of AfD, condemned the assault. She expressed, “Yesterday, a repugnant attack occurred against me and the AfD in Rhineland-Palatinate. We engage in discourse using reasoning. Those opposed to AfD employ repulsive tactics. Regardless of their abhorrent methods, we will persistently and now more resolutely strive for the moral and intellectual rejuvenation of our nation.” Critics have branded AfD as far-right and prejudiced due to their stance against mass immigration. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier hinted earlier this month that a ban on the nativist party might be necessary to safeguard German democracy. Last month, the publicly-funded German Institute for Human Rights contended that AfD’s stance contradicts the country’s constitution and therefore could potentially be disqualified from participating in elections. Steinmeier cautioned that “adversaries” of democracy could soon amass sufficient influence to erode German liberties and “brutalize” society. He conveyed, “We possess the capability to put those who hold contempt for democracy back in their rightful place,” alluding to AfD. German intelligence authorities have indicated a growing “radicalization” among AfD members. Nevertheless, the party currently commands the support of over one in five German voters, making it the second-largest group after the ruling CDU/CSU coalition, according to the most recent polls. During Friday’s event in Daun, protestors outnumbered AfD participants by approximately 100-125 to 80-85, as reported by the police. Beatrix von Storch, aged 52, disclosed that she has submitted a complaint seeking legal action against her assailant. A member of the Bundestag parliament since 2017, Beatrix von Storch briefly encountered a suspension of her Twitter account in January 2018. This followed her criticism of the Cologne police for posting a New Year’s greeting in Arabic. She queried, “What is happening in this country? How can an official NRW police account communicate in Arabic? Is this an attempt to placate these savage groups of Muslim men who commit heinous acts?”