A GERMAN politician was violently assaulted in the street following a political rally, as thousands gathered to protest a new ‘youth wing’ of a far-right party.
Terrifying video shows the moment the brawl broke out when a group of men wearing black jackets and masks attacked far-right German MP Julian Schmidt.
The controversial politician, who had “parked in an industrial area” before the political event, can be seen being punched and kicked by multiple men to the head, body and legs.
He was pushed to the ground, where an attacker tried to take advantage, before one of Schmidt’s supporters stepped in to protect the MP.
He recovered quickly, before going back in for one more punch, before the video cut off.
Speaking to Bild, Schmidt said: “We parked our car in an industrial area, walked towards the hall, and suddenly a group of men stood in front of us.
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“We tried to pass them, and then they started punching me.
“I tried to defend myself.”
Schmidt’s constituency is located 40 minutes from Giessen in Marburg.
He said he didn’t know if his attackers recognised him as a member of parliament.
“They didn’t ask my name, they just started hitting me,” he said.
“I then went to a paramedic; he suspects that my nose is broken.”
The brawl came as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) founded its new youth wing Generation Deutschland on Saturday.
The decision attracted massive protests, with at least 25,000 demonstrators descending on the central town of Giessen near Frankfurt to oppose the AfD event, according to police.
Officers used pepper spray after stones were thrown at them at one location, police said.
They also used water cannons to clear a blockade by about 2,000 protesters after they ignored calls to leave.
They did so again Saturday afternoon as a group tried to break through barriers toward the city’s convention centre.
Police said up to 5,000 officers were deployed, and 10 to 15 were slightly injured.
AfD, which is anti-immigration, became Germany‘s main opposition at February’s general election.
The new youth organisation will replace the Junge Alternative (JA), which was classified as an extremist group by German intelligence.
It’s typical for German parties to have youth wings, which are generally more politically radical than the parent parties.
It remains to be seen whether the new AfD youth organisation will be more moderate than its predecessor, with at least some continuity expected.