German pro-refugee mayor attacked by man with knife

18:33, 28.11.2017

Andreas Hollstein, 57, mayor of Altena town of Germany, was treated in hospital after he was attacked by man who criticized his refugee policy. A knife attacker injured the mayor in an assault that appeared to be motivated by the municipal leader’s pro-refugee stance, officials said.

The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, was “horrified by the knife attack”, her spokesman, Steffen Seibert, wrote on Twitter.

Andreas Hollstein, 57, the mayor of the western town of Altena, was attacked on Monday evening at a local kebab restaurant by a man who had loudly criticised his liberal refugee policy.

The 56-year-old attacker, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, used a 30-centimetre-long (12in) knife, reported Spiegel Online. He was arrested at the scene.

The town of about 17,000 people was well known for taking in a larger share of asylum seekers than required amid the mass influx that has brought more than 1 million migrants and refugees to Germany since 2015.

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