A German journalist has told of being attacked in the street after writing a column about the rise of xenophobia among right-wing extremists in his country.
Helmut Schümann, a columnist for the Berlin newspaper, Tagesspiegel, wrote on Facebook about the assault, reports The Local.
According to his account, he was attacked from behind by a group of people on Friday. One asked: “Are you Schümann for Tagesspiegel? You left-wing pig.” He was then knocked to the ground.
In a later posting, Schümann wrote that his attackers would not silence him. He would continue to “shout about them and write about them.” He added: “Physically, I’m recovering fast but mentally it is taking longer.”
Schümann had written an article the day before in which he wondered whether he could continue to call Germany his country because of the rise in xenophobia exhibited by organisations such as the anti-Islamic group Pegida and the Eurosceptic party Alternative for Germany.
Attacks on supporters of refugees have become increasingly common in Germany in recent weeks, as has violence against refugees and the places where they live.
In the most serious incident to date, the mayor of Cologne, Henriette Reker, was stabbed during an attack in the street. Her attacker, who was arrested, told police he did so because of Reker’s pro-refugee stance.
The car of a right-wing politician in Berlin was set on fire last week, indicating the trend towards violence over the refugee debate.
On Sunday, large groups of anti-refugee demonstrators attacked police in the town of Meerane in Saxony when they were shielding asylum seekers who were transferring from trains to buses.
Sources: The Local/The Guardian
