Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen came under attack in a Copenhagen square.Â
Copenhagen police confirmed the information about the attack on X and said they had arrested one person and launched an investigation. Despite, the police did not provide any details on how the attack happened or whether the prime minister was hurt in any way. Police said they “have one person arrested in the case, which we are now investigating. At this time, we have no further comments or remarks on the case.”
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office to the AFP news agency said the following:
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was beaten on Friday evening at Kultorvet (square, red.) in Copenhagen by a man who was subsequently arrested. The Prime Minister is shocked by the incident.
Officials have not said whether Frederiksen suffered injuries. However, two witnesses, Marie Adrian and Anna Ravn, told the BT newspaper that they saw Frederiksen arrive at the square and sit down at a nearby fountain, shortly before 6 p.m. They stated:
“A man came by in the opposite direction and gave her a hard shove on the shoulder, causing her to fall to the side,” and added that although it was a “strong push,” Frederiksen did not fall to the ground. They said the prime minister then sat down at a nearby cafe.
Witnesses described the man as tall and slim and said he tried to run away but could not get far as the men grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Another witness, the manager of a bar in the square told Reuters he saw Frederiksen walk away after the incident, escorted by security officers.
Assaults prior to the EU elections
Another attack took place just before the main day of EU parliamentary elections on Sunday. Danish PM was campaigning alongside the leading Social Democrat candidate in the EU, Christel Schaldemose. Despite, media reports that the attack is not related to the election event.
The attack on the Danish Prime Minister follows a string of attacks on various European politicians. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suffered a shooting at a cultural centre in Bratislava in the middle of May. Denmark’s neighbour Germany has also faced attacks on many polticians.
Leaders in Denmark and elsewhere in Europe condemned the attack, which came just a day before Sunday’s EU parliamentary elections.
