Attack on colorful diversity: hooded disturbing peace demo in Bad Freienwalde

Attack on colorful diversity: hooded disturbing peace demo in Bad Freienwalde

in Bad Freienwalde (Märkisch-Oderland), the event of the “Bad Freienwalde is colorful” initiative was attacked by about a dozen hooded persons on June 15, 2025. The attack occurred shortly before the planned start of the demonstration at twelve o'clock. Despite the attack, the event was launched, with some participants being injured by the attackers, among other things by beating in the face. No precise figures are known to the injuries, but several people were slightly injured.

The police quickly arrived at the event location and secured the event with 25 civil servants, some of which are heavily armed. How the situation came about and whether the attackers were caught by the police remains unclear for the time being. According to the organizers, there were already disorders in advance of the demonstration, including tearing and stealing around 40 posters, which indicates a tense atmosphere.

violent crimes in the region

The incident in Bad Freienwalde is lined up in a number of violent crimes that have been recorded recently. On March 29, 2025, a 69-year-old man at the train station was injured by two strangers after complaining about the noise caused by the perpetrators. These reacted aggressively to the complaint of the older gentleman, which led to a verbal and ultimately physical argument. The man was pushed and injured his head. The attackers were able to flee undetected, and the police are currently looking for the owner of the damaged residential trailer that the perpetrators had demolished. [Moz]

An investigation of violent crime in Germany illuminates the ongoing trend: In 2024, around 217,000 violent crimes have been registered, the highest number since 2007. Even if violent crimes are less than 4% of all police crimes, they have a significant influence on people's feeling of security. The increase in violent acts since 2021 has been associated with economic uncertainties and social stress.

social relevance

The increasing figures on violent acts and sacrificial statics, which according to BKA reach around 260,000 annually, highlight a pressing social problem. In addition, in 2023 there was a maximum of around 2,740 acts of violence against emergency services. Experts attribute these developments not only to social problems, but also to psychological stress caused by the Corona measures. In view of these circumstances, it is of central importance that such incidents as the attack in Bad Freienwalde are not only regarded as individual cases. A broader social examination of violence and aggression is absolutely necessary to strengthen the feeling of security among the population and to understand and combat the causes of violence.