Germany: Anti-Vax Protestors Attack and Injure Kili Weber
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom is concerned about the increase in assaults against the press covering protests in Germany
Location: Germany, Weinböhla
Date: January 29, 2024
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom is deeply concerned about the escalating threats and assaults against journalists covering protests in Germany. The recent attack on freelance journalist Kili Weber during the Querdenken demonstration in Weinböhla on January 29, 2024, is a distressing incident that highlights the growing dangers faced by reporters in the country. Kili Weber, an experienced freelance journalist, was subjected to verbal abuse, physical assault, and intimidation while diligently carrying out her reporting duties. The anti-press rhetoric propagated by groups like Querdenken creates a hostile environment for reporters, jeopardizing their safety and ability to provide objective news coverage. We strongly condemn these acts of violence and harassment and call upon the authorities to promptly investigate this attack and ensure that those responsible are held accountable for their actions.
On January 29, 2024, in Weinböhla, Saxony, while covering a Querdenken demonstration, Kili Weber faced both verbal and physical assault. Protestors targeted her with threatening gestures and abusive language. One assaulted her, resulting in a wrist injury. The demonstrators also obstructed the journalist and filmed her without consent, creating an intimidating environment. Weber managed to film the attackers and posted the video online.
Weber, a freelance journalist well-versed in the dangerous tactics employed by far-right movements, often faces online harassment and threats of violence, murder, and rape due to her work exposing these groups. At demonstrations, neo-Nazis chant her name, highlighting the risks she endures. To mitigate these dangers, she refrains from displaying her face in online photos, making the unauthorized filming by Querdenken protestors even more concerning.
The Querdenken movement, which initially emerged as a protest group against Covid-19 restrictions, has undergone radicalization over the past four years, attracting far-right elements. Its focus has shifted from pandemic-related issues to targeting politicians, governments, and the media, portraying them as objects of protest and hatred.
Journalists covering protests in Germany have faced increasing attacks in January 2024. At a pro-Palestinian protest in Leipzig on January 24, 2024, two journalists were brutally beaten. At the beginning of the month in Berlin, a journalist was threatened at a similar event.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly condemns the attack on Weber and calls for accountability. Video evidence capturing the perpetrators should be utilized by the police to identify and charge those responsible. The uptick in violence and threats against journalists covering demonstrations in Germany is worrying. Attacks against the press must not go unpunished.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.