Cameroonian-born German CDU candidate attacked, racially abused on campaign

DW | Adeline Abimnwi Awemo, who was born in Cameroon, is a candidate at the upcoming Brandenburg state election. She was treated in hospital after she was attacked and racially abused in Cottbus.

A German political candidate has been attacked and racially abused while campaigning in the northeastern city of Cottbus for the Brandenburg state election, police said on Friday.

Cameroonian-born Adeline Abimnwi Awemo was putting up posters for her party, the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), when an attacker allegedly hit her in the neck and racially abused her, her party said.

“I came into politics in order to work with the people and to change things together,” Awemo said after the incident.

What do we know about the attack?

Police said Awemo was putting up posters with her family on Thursday when a woman attacked her.

The woman is reported to have said: “You are not humans.”

Awemo was taken to hospital for treatment on Thursday night before being discharged.

An investigation has been opened against a 29-year-old suspect for causing bodily harm, police said.

Awemo, who currently sits on the local advisory board for immigration and integration, said she is not afraid and has vowed to be “the Cottbus woman who is committed to the people.”

Politicians condemn latest act of political violence

On Friday, the CDU’s state chair Jan Redmann said he would travel to Cottbus to show support for Awemo.

“The increasing risk to people who are politically active in our country is unbearable,” he said. “All those who are driving polarization in our society and thus ensuring growing brutality are jointly responsible for this crime.”

The federal secretary general of the CDU, Carsten Linnemann noted that the attack on Awemo was the latest in a string of attacks against politicians and candidates, in statements to a newspaper for the Funke Media Group.

“Hatred and violence are on the rise, and polarization continues to spiral further and further,” he said.

Other parties also condemned the incident, including the lead state candidates for the Left Party and the Greens.

Brandenburg will head to the polls on September 22.

zc/rmt (dpa, epd, AFP)