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WORLD NEWS Wednesday 9 January 2019

Far-right German lawmaker is severely beaten in Bremen

By GEIR MOULSON no evidence so far that
FRANK JORDANS Magnitz was struck with a
Associated Press weapon.
BERLIN (AP) — A lawmaker Authorities appealed for
from the far-right Alterna- witnesses to the attack,
tive for Germany party saying they’re investigat-
was attacked and seriously ing whether Magnitz was
wounded by several men attacked because of his
in the northwestern city of political work, but haven’t
Bremen in what police said ruled out other possibilities.
Tuesday may have been “It was clearly an attempt
a politically motivated as- to murder Mr. Magnitz,”
sault. The beating of Frank AfD co-leader Alexander
Magnitz, a lawmaker in the Gauland told reporters in
national parliament who Berlin. “This is the result of
leads the party’s branch in the ostracism and agitation
Bremen, drew condemna- AfD faces,” he said, sug-
tion from across the politi- gesting other German po-
cal spectrum. litical parties were partly re-
“There’s zero tolerance for sponsible for the attack be-
violence, whoever is af- cause they had compared
fected and wherever the AfD to Adolf Hitler’s Nazi
violence comes from,” party because of its na-
German Interior Minister tionalist rhetoric and cam-
Horst Seehofer told The As- paigns against migrants.
sociated Press. Picture shows the entrance to a theatre where AfD politician Frank Magnitz was attacked Monday Magnitz told dpa that while
Police said the 66-year-old evening on Tuesday, Jan.8, 2019. he had received threats,
Magnitz was beaten by Associated Press he hadn’t considered any
three people in dark cloth- approaching Magnitz from Magnitz was hospitalized, distributed a photo of him of them concrete.
ing and hoods or hats, who behind, followed closely by and he told the dpa news lying on a gurney, with a The party claims there
then fled. Two workers load- a third person, the authori- agency that doctors want bloody, gaping wound on have been “hundreds” of
ing a car nearby found him ties said. One of them hit him to remain there until his head and his right eye attacks against its officers
on the ground and called the lawmaker from behind, the weekend. He said he bruised and swollen. and members since its
an ambulance. the video showed, and he had little memory of the at- The AfD said Magnitz was founding in 2013.
Surveillance video of the in- fell and suffered a badly tack. His party, known by ambushed after leaving a Last week, an explosion
cident showed two people bleeding head wound. its German acronym AfD, newspaper’s New Year re- outside one of its offices in
ception and beaten with the eastern town of Doe-
German rescue groups say migrants’ a piece of wood. Police, beln damaged windows
however, said there was and doors.q
health worsening on ships

Associated Press before a solution is found?” a deal spelling out how the
BERLIN (AP) — Two German Sea-Watch member Erik 49 passengers and another
nonprofit groups appealed Marquardt asked. A Sea- 249 the island nation says
to European Union coun- Watch crew rescued 32 its took in from recent sea
tries Tuesday to take in 49 migrants from a smugglers’ rescues will be split up and
migrants waiting on rescue boat on Dec. 22 within sight relocated. Germany’s inte-
ships in the Mediterranean of Malta. Seventeen other rior minister said his country
Sea, warning of the passen- people were picked up in would be prepared to take
gers’ deteriorating health. the Mediterranean by a in 50 people, but wants
Sea-Watch and Sea-Eye Sea-Eye crew on Dec. 29. other EU nations to step up,
representatives told report- Neither vessel has been too. “This doesn’t mean 27
ers in Berlin that drinking granted authorization to EU member states need to
water was being rationed dock and disembark the participate,” Interior Minis-
on their ships and some mi- people on board. The Mal- ter Horst Seehofer told re-
grants were having trouble tese government has said porters. “But a presentable
eating due to illnesses. that before the two ships will number of EU states should
“Do people need to die be allowed to port, it wants join in.”q