Police Investigate Attacks on Journalists at AfD Party Congress in Erfurt

Authorities in Erfurt, Germany, have launched an investigation into alleged physical assaults targeting journalists on the sidelines of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party congress. The incidents reportedly occurred amidst protests against the far-right party's gathering.

According to reports, three journalists affiliated with the right-wing news portal Apollo News were physically attacked. Additionally, a journalist from the right-leaning publication Junge Freiheit had their mobile phone stolen. The Thuringian police president, Thomas Quittenbaum, confirmed that some suspects in the theft have been identified.

Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD) condemned the attacks, stating that violence should never be a tool for political discourse. Green Party leader Franziska Brantner also denounced the alleged assaults, emphasizing the inviolable right to press freedom. Meanwhile, the protest alliance 'Widersetzen,' which helped organize the demonstrations, appeared to downplay the incidents, with a spokesperson stating that 'fascists with a press card are still fascists' and are not welcome at their events.