Left Party suffers attack in neo-Nazi heartland
The offices of Die Linke – Germany's radical left party – were attacked on Sunday evening in Freital, the Saxonian town which stood at the centre of anti-refugee protests in recent weeks.
According to police the attack took place at around 11 pm, when a loud bang was heard in the vicinity of the office. Closer inspection showed that a window pane had been broken in the blast, but no injuries were reported.
Police could also provide no further information about possible suspects.
This is the second attack on Die Linke in Freital in the past two months, after an explosive was set off under local party chair Michael Richter's car in July.
Freital became synonymous with anti-refugee protests earlier in the year, when in June 160 demonstrators tried for three days to prevent refugees from entering a hotel they were being housed at in the town.
The attack on the Linke offices followed a similar incident at a refugee home in Freital on Saturday evening, when a firework was set off at the window of the building. The resultant detonation broke a window pane without causing injuries.
Also in Baden-Württemberg, an arson attack on an as yet empty refugee home on Saturday night left the building unusable.
The refugee centre in the town of Wertheim was in a sports hall which had been converted for the purpose and contained 330 beds.
Police found evidence of a break-in at the back of the building.
The mayor of Wertheim, Stefan Mikulicz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said that he was deeply disturbed by the attack.
Mikulicz said that he had pleaded with the state government for more support for the town, arguing that the voluntary workers supporting refugees were under unbearable strain.
The town of 22,500 inhabitants has taken in 900 asylum seekers so far, with another 400 expected in the coming weeks.
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According to police the attack took place at around 11 pm, when a loud bang was heard in the vicinity of the office. Closer inspection showed that a window pane had been broken in the blast, but no injuries were reported.
Police could also provide no further information about possible suspects.
This is the second attack on Die Linke in Freital in the past two months, after an explosive was set off under local party chair Michael Richter's car in July.
Freital became synonymous with anti-refugee protests earlier in the year, when in June 160 demonstrators tried for three days to prevent refugees from entering a hotel they were being housed at in the town.
The attack on the Linke offices followed a similar incident at a refugee home in Freital on Saturday evening, when a firework was set off at the window of the building. The resultant detonation broke a window pane without causing injuries.
Also in Baden-Württemberg, an arson attack on an as yet empty refugee home on Saturday night left the building unusable.
The refugee centre in the town of Wertheim was in a sports hall which had been converted for the purpose and contained 330 beds.
Police found evidence of a break-in at the back of the building.
The mayor of Wertheim, Stefan Mikulicz of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) said that he was deeply disturbed by the attack.
Mikulicz said that he had pleaded with the state government for more support for the town, arguing that the voluntary workers supporting refugees were under unbearable strain.
The town of 22,500 inhabitants has taken in 900 asylum seekers so far, with another 400 expected in the coming weeks.
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