Threat with Machete: Announced team of the Left Party in Dohna

Threat with Machete: Announced team of the Left Party in Dohna

The recent incidents during the election campaign in Saxony throw a worrying light on the safety of election helpers. Such an event occurred in Dohna when an unknown perpetrator threatened a team from the Left Party with a machete on a broad day. This violent argument is not isolated, but is part of an alarming pattern of attacks on campaigners in the region.

The threat in Dohna

The Left Party campaign team consisted of five committed young people between the ages of 14 and 20. While they distributed advertising materials to households on Wednesday, they were initially verbally attacked and later threatened with a machete when the perpetrator returned. This incident was reported to the police on Thursday, which subsequently initiated an investigation into the state protection.

reactions of the political actors

Susanne Schaper, the state party leader of the Left Party, commented shocked about the incidents: "The words are missing. You think you have seen everything and then there are always new, even more shocking events," she said in a statement. On the platform X (formerly Twitter), the party announced that the attacker threatened with the words: "Piss you, otherwise I'll hack your head." Schaper also asked how it could be in a democracy that campaigners are threatened by force.

The importance of security in the democratic process

The threats that the campaigners experience are alarming and raise serious questions about security in the democratic process. If politicians and supporters need police protection in order to be able to express their opinion freely, this is a strong sign that society is under pressure. The fact that such attacks have also taken place in the past increases concern about the state of political culture in Saxony.

a wider pattern of violence

The incidents that took place in Dohna are not the only ones who have made headlines lately. A team from the “Die Piraten” party was attacked at the weekend, and in the previous week campaign workers in Leipzig were threatened when poster. This indicates a worrying tendency that not only affects the left party. A particularly brutal attack on Matthias Ecke (SPD) in May this year illuminates the dangers that political actors are exposed to.

important elections are imminent

In less than two weeks, on September 1st, a new state parliament will be elected in Saxony. The increasing violence against election campaign teams could not only endanger the security of the people involved, but also have a lasting impact on voters' trust in the democratic processes. The events in Dohna could thus have far -reaching effects on the political landscape and the election behavior.

- Nag