Danish Prime Minister attacked during campaign event in Copenhagen
7:37 PM EDT, June 7, 2024
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was attacked in central Copenhagen, the Ritzau news agency reported Friday evening. The assailant was apprehended.
According to media reports, Frederiksen was either hit or beaten. Her office said that the Prime Minister is shocked by the incident.
The incident was confirmed by Danish police and the special services PET, though they declined to provide further details.
"It's an attack on democracy"
Frederiksen, who leads the Social Democrats, campaigned for her party's candidate on Friday afternoon ahead of Sunday's European Parliament elections. The attack reportedly occurred after the meeting had ended.
Many Danish government ministers expressed their disapproval of the aggression. Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said that any attack on an elected politician is an attack on our entire democracy. "This is not Denmark," emphasized Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen.
