<p>The day after an attacker killed a woman and injured 29 at the edge of a Berlin Pride event, the leader of the far-right party in the city issued a news release that focused on the assailant and did not address gay rights. Authorities said the attacker had previously tried to join an Islamist militant group.</p><p>“Protect Berliners from violent Islamists!” the statement began.</p><p>The statement’s omissions highlight the political opportunity and risk for the party, which has framed violence as evidence that outsiders are harming Germany from within. Analysts expect the messaging to potentially boost the party in upcoming local elections in Berlin and in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where it currently leads in polls.</p><p>Experts caution that the potential gain could be tempered by pushback from the gay community, which has grown concerned about safety amid an uptick in crimes described by authorities as anti-queer and committed by far-right suspects.</p><p>The attack is seen as politically advantageous to the party, but not without complications due to the target being a Pride event, according to a politics professor at a university in western Germany.</p><p>The party has previously advocated banning Pride flags from public buildings and has organized counterprogramming at Pride events.</p><p>One party leader in Berlin argued that the party does not oppose gay rights or Pride celebrations and emphasized that many gay individuals are within the party itself.</p><p>Berlin’s gay community leaders have criticized the party’s stance, warning of the risk of right-wing influence over LGBTQ rights and safety.</p><p>In Berlin, the party’s leadership has asserted they do not oppose Pride events, while noting a diverse membership that includes many LGBTQ+ individuals.</p><p>The attack has intensified political competition in Germany, with center-right parties promising tougher terrorism measures and scrutiny of citizens with extremist views, and some politicians adopting similar preventative rhetoric to the party’s immigration stance.</p><p>There has been rising discussion about deportation and citizenship revocation for those harboring extremist beliefs, a position shared by some center-right figures and contrasted with broader constitutional concerns expressed by opponents.</p><p>Opponents accuse the party of cynically exploiting a tragedy for political gain against a community it claims to support, while mainstream parties continue to refuse cooperation with the party. The party remains outside the governing coalition and is labeled a suspected right-wing extremist group by national intelligence services.</p><p>Despite this, the party has surged in popularity, buoyed by messages on security, traditional family structures, and opposition to large-scale immigration, with strong polling in several regions ahead of state elections.</p><p>Researchers note that terror attacks in public spaces have historically aided the party in local elections, and that voters’ heightened focus on security may shift political dynamics nationally as well.</p>
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