Brutal attack on diversity! Bad Freienwalde in turmoil!

Brutal attack on diversity! Bad Freienwalde in turmoil!

Last Sunday there was a brutal incident at the colorful “Bad Freienwalde is Colorful” festival in Brandenburg that caused waves. Masked attackers, estimated to be between 10 and 15 people, attacked overconfident participants and injured Heino Krummholz with punches in the face. Despite the presence of the police, who were unable to intervene in time, the perpetrators fled undetected. Fortunately, the police are looking for witnesses and images of the incident, which has now been handed over to the state security because a political motivation is considered “quite obvious,” as Coolis reports.

At the event, which stands for a “colorful Bad Freienwalde and against right-wing populism”, the incident is not just a disruption, but an alarming development, as Mayor Alf Lehmann describes the situation. The organizers have already been confronted with difficult circumstances because posters were stolen in advance. Similar celebrations have been disrupted by right-wing extremist groups in the past, further fueling concerns about security in the country.

Top notch responses and growing concern

The brutal attack made national headlines and further increased concerns about increasing violence by right-wing extremists. Interior Minister René Wilke clearly condemned the attack and described attacks on people taking part in family and children's parties as unacceptable. In discussions with those affected and the police on site, he pushed for increased civic engagement and a serious risk assessment by the security authorities, as rbb24 reports.

The “Bad Freienwalde is colorful” alliance is also combative and does not want to be intimidated. This is reflected in the voices of the actors. The organizer Judith Strohm is calling for more support from civil society and is saying what many people think: the safety of the participants must be the top priority. In addition, Lorenz Blumentaler from the Amadeu Antonio Foundation highlights the need to protect diversity events, especially in a climate where neo-Nazi violence is continually increasing.

Rise in right-wing extremist violence

These incidents are not one-off events, but part of an alarming trend that is also recorded in the current Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution report. Accordingly, in 2024 there were over 50,000 right-wing extremists in Germany for the first time, an increase of 25 percent compared to the previous year. Of particular concern is the increase in politically motivated crimes, which rose by 40 percent in 2024. Violence against the LGBTIQ community is also increasing, which ZDF notes in its report.

The questionable political sentiment is evident in Bad Freienwalde: Over 40 percent of voters in the 2025 federal election chose the AfD, which has repeatedly raised the mood against the rainbow flag in the past. In this explosive environment, the city increasingly sees itself as a focus of right-wing violence.

The question of “why” of this attack remains open, but the incident shines a bright light on the current challenges facing the queer community and society at large. A rethink and more action are urgently needed to stop the spiral of violence and to ensure a colorful swimming pool in Freienwalde.