Police officers deserve to be abused because they are a threat to security and democracy, the youth wing of Germany’s largest governing party has claimed.
The Social Democratic Party (SPD) youth group, JUSOS Leipzig, evidenced the rift between the SPD’s major politicians and its young activists by responding to Interior Minister Nancy Faeser’s call to respect the police for preserving law and order.
“Every day, tens of thousands of police officers in the federal and state governments put their lives on the line for our security and our democracy. They deserve our respect and not insults,” Faeser posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday.
It appears the SPD politician’s call was not heeded by the young members of her own party, however, who hit back on the same platform.
“Every day, federal and state police officers are members of right-wing chat groups and networks. They are a threat to our security and our democracy. They deserve abuse, not respect,” the Leipzig-based youth group responded.
Deputy Chairman of Germany’s Federal Police Union Manuel Ostermann criticized the response by the SPD youth group, accusing them of “drifting left” and offering a staunch defense of police officers across the country.
“Our police officers deserve appreciation. We can be happy in Germany to be able to fall back on such a police force. Dear colleagues, thank you from the bottom of my heart,” he added.
Others questioned the extent to which the governing SPD was moving to the extremes of the political spectrum with its young activists expressing similar sentiments to those held by far-left activist group Antifa.
Faeser had initially been responding to ARD journalist Stephan Anpalagan, who had accused the federal police of being a “Gestapo successor organization,” a remark that Heiko Teggatz, the head of the federal police union, called a “shame for public service broadcasting.” Teggatz subsequently demanded a response from the federal government.