Berlin election campaign sees surge in crimes and AfD legal scrutiny

As the Berlin elections approach, police have reported approximately 500 criminal incidents related to the campaign. This includes over 380 cases of property damage, primarily targeting election posters. The AfD has been most affected, with 652 posters damaged, followed by the CDU (145) and Die Linke (94). Additionally, authorities recorded 12 cases of bodily harm, 6 threats, and 22 insults against politicians and election workers.

In a separate development, police searched the home of an employee of AfD lead candidate Kristin Brinker on suspicion of violating explosives and weapons laws. While no evidence directly supporting the primary charges was found, officers seized drugs and Nazi memorabilia as incidental findings. Brinker defended the employee, describing him as a “collector.”

Meanwhile, in Brandenburg, the AfD has launched the “Politische Akademie Brandenburg.” The multi-year training program aims to prepare selected members for future political responsibility at federal and state levels. The initiative comes as the Brandenburg state office for the protection of the constitution classifies the regional AfD branch as right-wing extremist, a designation the party is legally contesting.