According to his party, the Saxon politician of the left, Nam Duy Nguyen, was beaten unconscious by a police officer during the protests against the AfD party conference in Riesa. A companion was also hit in the face and injured, the party leadership said. “We will file criminal charges against the responsible officials,” said party leader Jan van Aken.
“Both of them clearly pointed out their role as parliamentary observers with MP ID cards and safety vests and behaved in a de-escalating manner. Nevertheless, they were hit in the face by police officers,” said van Aken. Co-chair Ines Schwerdtner said police violence undermines the trust of citizens and should fundamentally not be tolerated. “We call on all parties in Saxony and nationwide to condemn this attack without any ifs or buts.”
Dresden police apologize for attack
Dresden police chief Lutz Rodig apologized for the incident. “We are very sorry that a deputy and his companion were injured during the police operation,” he said. “This was certainly not the intention of our police actions.” He arranged for “the matter to be dealt with with the highest priority”.
Saxony’s Interior Minister Armin Schuster wants to clear up the case quickly. “This case was investigated immediately and an investigation has been initiated,” said the CDU politician to the dpa. “It is completely clear that this incident needs to be given very special attention as part of the operational evaluation.” Schuster wished the Saxon left-wing politician Nam Duy Nguyen a “sensible recovery.”
The 29-year-old Nam Duy Nguyen won one of the two direct mandates for his party in Leipzig in the state elections in Saxony on September 1, 2024, thus securing the left’s entry into the state parliament.
AfD party conference has to start late
Around 10,000 people demonstrated against the AfD federal party conference in Riesa. Because of the protest, this could only begin more than two hours later than planned. Several delegates could not reach the meeting hall on time. The mood was heated at times, with demonstrators and police confronting each other in many places. Loud police Six officers were slightly injured.
This mainly happened during “scuffles” when demonstrators tried to break through barriers, said a police spokesman. The use of physical violence is part of police measures. “If in doubt, the images look robust, but that’s part of the police portfolio,” he said.
Initiators report 12,000 demonstrators
According to the Action Alliance Resist, more than 12,000 “people from unions, political parties, church choirs, antifa groups, the climate justice movement, migrant organizations and many other groups” blocked the access routes to the venue.
The alliance accused the police of not allowing demonstrators to enter the rally. Pepper spray and batons were used. According to Helen Kramer from the Alliance Don’t Feel Like Nazis, demonstrators came to Riesa in around 200 buses from numerous cities in Germany. “Riesa is diverse and colorful,” she said.
Economic policy of the AfD:
Alice in the Economic Wonderland
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Alice Weidel:
The Voice of Germany
