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During a demonstration on May 1 in Berlin, a ZDF camera team was attacked. Six people had to be hospitalized injured. There were arrests, investigated state security. Moderator Abdelkarim commented on the incident on Saturday.
A camera crew from the ZDF heute-show was attacked on May 1 in Berlin-Mitte. Six team members suffered injuries so severe that they had to be rushed to the hospital. Cabaret artist and presenter Abdelkarim was not injured. He thanked security guards, witnesses, police and paramedics for their help on Twitter on Saturday. “According to a security guard, we were lucky in misfortune. It could all have ended much more tragically,” he wrote.
Today’s camera crew, the production manager, three security guards, and I were attacked by a very aggressive group. Some of us had to go to the hospital. Fortunately, things are going up according to the current state. I wish you to continue recovery and recovery.
– 😊 (@AbdelkarimsLP) May 2, 2020
The seven-member ZDF team had been attacked by hooded individuals on Friday afternoon after filming a demonstration against the crown rules, which also included right-wing populists and supporters of conspiracy theories. According to the police, six people were arrested and, according to information from the DPA, they can be assigned to the left spectrum.
The attackers attacked the team with homicides, ZDF Harald Ortmann, the managing director of the production company involved, was quoted as saying. Three security guards were hired in advance for filming, he explained. This is now standard for filming demos. Ortmann said they were seriously injured when they tried to help the sound assistant and cameraman. “Our sound assistant was kicked in the face, with a level of brutality that people accepted that a person would not survive.”
State protection determined in a political context
Because a political background was taken into account, state security took over the investigation, as Berlin Police Chief Barbara Slowik said on RBB news radio on Saturday. At first, he did not want to comment on other findings due to ongoing investigations. “It was a really funky attack,” Slowik said.
The six suspects were released on Saturday. The Berlin Attorney General’s Office said late that an arrest warrant had not been issued. Four of the detainees had no urgent suspicions, two had no reason to be detained. A spokesman for the prosecutor’s office declined to comment further on the possible history of the crime or the identity of the detainees.
The attack occurred not far from Alexanderplatz, according to the ZDF, when team members were returning to their vehicles. The editor, cameraman, and camera assistant, as well as three members of the security staff had to be treated at the hospital. A police spokeswoman initially spoke of four wounded. All six had already left the hospital on Friday, according to ZDF.
Cabaret artist Abdelkarim thanked Facebook Friday night for many questions and good wishes. The camera crew, the production manager, three security guards accompanying him, and he were attacked “by a very aggressive group.” He praised the security guards as “gladiators”.
Abdelkarim: The German-Moroccan comedian (38) has been part of the heute-show team since 2016. He commented on the attack on him and his ZDF colleagues with the words: “I was very lucky.” (File photo) (Source: Sven Simon / imago images)
He did not go into the background of the attack or speculation on the perpetrators. Near “Rosa-Luxembourg-Platz” there was a “hygiene demonstration” with participants mainly from the middle of conspiracy theorists and right and left activists. The demonstration grew out of protests against restrictions on fundamental rights in relation to the Corona crisis.
The president of the German Association of Journalists, Frank Überall, called Friday’s attack an attack on press freedom. ZDF program director Norbert Himmler said: “Press freedom is a great asset, especially these days. However, our concern now is first and foremost for team members and their health.”
I wish the team of @heuteshowwho was attacked in a terrifying way today, to recover soon. We are by your side! Don’t let your humor and passion take away from violent and cowardly criminals. #heuteshow
– Heiko Maas 🇪🇺 (@HeikoMaas) May 1, 2020
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas even reacted to the incident on Friday night. In a post on the Twitter network, he wished that “the heute-show team, which has been attacked in a terrifying way today, will recover soon.” Maas added: “We are by your side!”
The incident was not a problem at the “heute-show” on Friday night. It had been recorded before the incident.
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