BERLIN, 4 Oct. Co-chairman of the German right-wing party «Alternative for Germany» (AfD) Alice Weidel is under the protection of security authorities due to threats received by her and her family, the politician's press secretary told DPA.
«The weekend before last there was a security incident. Weidel and her family were taken by security authorities from their private apartment to a safe location as there were signs indicating a possible attack on her family,» the press officer said. secretary, without specifying which services the politician protects.
The speaker explained that Weidel, for the above reasons, canceled her participation in the event held on Tuesday in Bavaria for the Day of German Unity on the eve of the Landtag elections.
In August in Augsburg, unknown persons beat up AfD party representative Andreas Jurka. The politician said that the attackers asked him questions about his plans to run for the Bavarian Landtag. According to the party, Yurka was diagnosed with hematomas and a broken ankle.
In the last six months, the AfD has quickly gained popularity: according to polls, its rating fluctuates in the range of 18-23%. The party overtook all competitors from the ruling coalition and took second place after the CDU/CSU bloc. The AfD, among other things, actively advocates limiting the influx of migrants and the need to start peace negotiations on Ukraine. The party's opponents often accuse it of having close ties to Russia.
At the beginning of July, Hannes Loth was elected the new burgomaster of the German district of Ragun-Jesnitz, who became the first AfD representative in such a position. In June, AfD representative Robert Sesselmann was elected head of the Sonneberg district in Thuringia.