Neo-Nazi attack on diversity festival in Bad Freienwalde: Two injured!

Neo-Nazi attack on diversity festival in Bad Freienwalde: Two injured!

A threatening incident occurred in Bad Freienwalde on Sunday afternoon during the diversity festival “Bad Freienwalde is colorful”. The event, which promotes a diverse community and fights anti-queer hostility, was attacked by a group of about a dozen masked people just before the festival was officially set to begin. At least two people were injured, and eyewitnesses reported brutal beatings and the use of quartz sand gloves by the attackers. There were already indications of a possible disruption in advance, but the police were not on site during the incident, which was strongly criticized by the meeting leaders.

As the RBB reports, the police are now investigating a group of ten to fifteen people for a particularly serious breach of the peace. The focus is on a 21-year-old suspect from Bliesdorf, who is part of the right-wing extremist scene. He has already taken part in similar attacks in the past and is committed to the neo-Nazi micro-party “The Third Way”. Another example of his criminal record shows that he tried to violently disrupt the diversity festival in 2024, but was prevented from doing so by the participants.

Right-wing extremism in the region

The incidents in Bad Freienwalde shed a sharp light on the current situation of right-wing extremism in Germany and especially in this region. According to the Verfassungsschutz, the numbers of right-wing extremist crimes have increased alarmingly. There were a total of 37,835 offenses in 2024, which corresponds to an increase of 47.4% compared to the previous year. What is particularly striking is the increase in violent attacks, which increased by 11.6% to 1,281 cases.

A right-wing extremism expert emphasizes that there is a strong right-wing youth culture, especially in Bad Freienwalde. This could explain why the AfD became the strongest political force in the region in the last federal election with over 40% of the vote. Groups such as “Deutsche Jugend Voran” and the neo-Nazi organization “III. Weg” are active there and are suspected of dividing society.

Reactions and outlook

Sunday's incident also attracted political attention. Interior Minister René Wilke was critical of the violence and visited Bad Freienwalde to speak to those affected. Despite the brutal attacks, around 400 people took part in the festival, including many queer people and people with refugee and migration experiences. Despite the impending threat, the “Bad Freienwalde is colorful” alliance continues to advocate for a solidarity-based and diverse society, which was made clear by the courage and determination of the participants.

What happened in Bad Freienwalde reflects only part of the larger problem that many German cities are facing when it comes to the increase in right-wing extremist activity and attacks. It remains to be hoped that the police investigation is successful and further acts of violence of this kind can be prevented.

For further information on the background and developments of right-wing extremism in Germany, the taz can also be consulted.