AfD Plans to Use Berlin Attack in Campaign Ahead of Saxony‑Anhalt Election

On Saturday night a 21‑year‑old German citizen of Lebanese descent, Abdul B., attacked participants of the Christopher Street Day pride parade in Berlin's Tiergarten park, killing one woman and injuring 29 people. German officials, including Chancellor Olaf Scholz, described the incident as an Islamist terrorist act. AfD co‑leader Alice Weidel called it a "terrible Islamist attack" that "must not go without consequences."

The far‑right Alternative for Germany (AfD) has announced it will link the attack to its election messaging for the September state polls in Saxony‑Anhalt, Berlin and Mecklenburg‑Vorpommern, blaming what it calls "catastrophic migration policy" and urging stricter immigration controls. With poll forecasts showing the AfD near or above 40% in Saxony‑Anhalt, federal Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said he is "deeply concerned" about the prospect of the party gaining a state government and possibly accessing classified information, prompting a debate in Berlin over whether AfD ministers should be granted security clearances.