Attacks on journalists and media professionals in Germany more than doubled in the past year, an analysis by the press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) showed on Tuesday.
In its yearly report, the group documented 89 physical attacks on reporters and press-related buildings in Germany in 2024, with most occurring at rallies linked either to the conflict in the Middle East, the far right or the anti-abortion movement.
The figure was far higher than the 41 incidents reported by RSF in 2023, although it remained below the 103 attacks recorded in 2022.
Physical attacks against journalists made up 75 of the incidents, while 14 were acts of aggression were against editorial headquarters or residential buildings.
The organization said “38 cases of physical violence occurred at Middle East demonstrations in Berlin alone,” while “a further 21 attacks came from far-right circles and conspiracy theorists.”
RSF also warned of unreported cases of violence from German far-right groups against local reporters, who do not always publicize the incidents.
Media professionals were beaten up, hit with flagpoles, pushed to the ground, kicked in the genital area, pelted with coffee cups and raw eggs, and attacked with pepper spray, the report said.
Reporters working in Germany are facing “increasing hostility towards the press and a narrower understanding of press freedom,” RSF argued.
Many people increasingly regard media professionals with different political views as enemies, the report highlighted.
The organization further said the war in Gaza has led to increasingly narrow windows of discourse in reporting on Israel and Palestine.
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