Right-wing extremist AfD state candidate stabbed in another attack in Mannheim

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Heinrich Koch, local council candidate of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, was injured in a suspected knife attack in Mannheim on Tuesday night.

AfD federal spokesman Tino Chrupalla posted on X that Koch had been confronted when he confronted people tearing down posters in the city of 300,000 in southwest Germany.

“Our members and representatives are the most frequent victims of political violence and destruction. This cannot stop us,” Chrupalla added.

The police in Mannheim confirmed that police investigations were ongoing in connection with the incident.

In an alleged video of the incident, which the AfD provided to the German news agency dpa, the perpetrator was a young man who tore down posters of the far-right party in the town’s market square. The video shows a man running away from Rheinau’s market square with several AfD posters under his arm while Koch, who allegedly filmed the video, chases him.

According to domestic media, Koch suffered injuries to his ear and stomach. He is the AfD’s third-place candidate in the local elections on June 9.

The attack came just days after a 29-year-old police officer was killed in another stabbing during an anti-Islam demonstration in the same city.

He was one of six people injured when a 25-year-old man armed with a knife attacked an anti-Islam rally last Friday.

The well-known German right-wing extremist and critic of Islam Michael Stürzenberger was also injured when he took part in a meeting of the citizens’ movement Pax Europa (BPE), of which he is a member.

The police officer succumbed to his injuries in intensive care on Sunday.

The attacker, who presumably emigrated to Germany from Afghanistan in 2014, was shot and injured at the scene. The police have not yet given a motive for the attack.

On X, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said his condolences were with the family of the killed police officer and that he was “deeply saddened” by the incident.