Politicians in the crosshairs: Left-wing extremist violence against the AfD is increasing!

Politicians in the crosshairs: Left-wing extremist violence against the AfD is increasing!

In Germany, politicians increasingly have to reckon with violence and threats, which is particularly evident in the Alternative for Germany (AfD). In the first half of 2025, 98 acts of violence against politicians have already been registered, of which over two thirds, namely 68 cases, were committed by the AfD. In 2024, a total of 157 acts of violence against politicians were recorded, 93 of which were directed against the AfD. A frightening example is the recent arson attack on Bernd Baumann, the parliamentary director of the AfD, on the night of November 3rd in Hamburg-Othmarschen, in which his private car was completely burned out and three other vehicles were damaged. Left-wing extremists claimed responsibility for the attack via an illegal platform and did not shy away from threatening Baumann with death. Leaflets were also distributed that denigrated him and his home address. These attacks were also strongly condemned by other parties, including Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU), who made it clear how dangerous such attacks are for parliamentary democracy.

Again Picture reports, there is a worrying unity in the background among the left-wing extremist scene that sees violence against the AfD as necessary. A spokeswoman for the Federal Ministry of the Interior pointed out that the situation is serious and it is time to take these dangers seriously.

Left-wing extremism in numbers

In its current report, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution shows that the potential for left-wing extremism has increased to around 38,000 people in 2024, of which 11,200 are considered violence-oriented. This means a stable situation compared to the previous year. What was particularly noticeable was that the number of left-wing extremist crimes increased significantly in 2024, increasing by around 37.9 percent to 5,857 crimes. One factor for this increase is the political elections in Europe and at the national level, which have turned the focus on political opponents, particularly the AfD. Loud Protection of the Constitution The most common crimes manifest themselves in the form of arson, physical attacks on political opponents and damage to property.

At the same point, there is a certain diversification in left-wing extremist violence. Extremism research points out that left-wing extremist movements receive less attention than their right-wing or Islamist counterparts. Nevertheless, the numbers show an alarming trend. With more than 532 acts of violence in 2024 attributed to the left-wing extremist scene, the question arises: How long can society ignore this? A recent analysis described four scenarios in which left-wing extremism could lead to politically motivated violence. This particularly includes Antifa, which actively positions itself against people and organizations classified as fascist, especially the AfD.

Political reactions and outlook

On October 16, the AfD submitted a motion in the Bundestag to ban violent Antifa groups, but was met with massive resistance from all other factions. This shows that the political debate about how to deal with left-wing extremism is far from over. Green MP Lamya Kaddor added that she had also experienced serious threats from the left, but stressed that the security authorities had the situation under control. World highlights that the danger posed by left-wing extremist groups is greater than is often perceived. Radicalization and preventive measures are necessary to defuse social tensions and stop acts of violence.