German far-right politician brutally beaten in 'assassination attempt,' party says

A member of Germany's parliament from the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) suffered serious injuries after he was attacked by three people in the northern city of Bremen Monday in what the party described as an "assassination attempt."

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According to a statement on the AfD Bremen Facebook page, Frank Magnitz was knocked unconscious as he left a New Year's reception at a theater in the city. The party said the attackers continued to beat Magnitz on the head after he was down.

The statement credited "the courageous intervention of a builder" with saving Magnitz's life. AfD said police and the Bremen prosecutor's office were investigating the attack.

"In the coming days, we will closely monitor the reactions of other parties," said the statement, adding: "Today is a black day for democracy in Germany." The account included a photo of Magnitz with a bloody head injury.

Magnitz was beaten in an "assassination attempt," according to his party.

AfD won 94 seats in Germany's parliament in the September 2017 federal elections, making them the third-largest party in the Bundestag behind Chancellor Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union-Christian Social Union Coalition and the center-left Social Democrats.

The reported attack came just three days after an unknown substance exploded outside the AfD office in the eastern town of Doebeln, in Saxony state. Authorities were looking into the cause and possible motives.

Saxony's deputy governor, center-left Social Democrat Martin Dulig, tweeted Friday that there is no justification for what happened, adding that "this attack helps AfD and damages democracy." Saxony holds a state election in September.