German Greens politicians in the Berlin state parliament caused an uproar on Thursday after heckling and laughing during a debate on the Islamist knife attack in Mannheim last week that resulted in the murder of a police officer.
Opening the debate, the state’s Interior Senator Iris Spanger (SPD) began by saying, “The terrible death of Mannheim shows us-” to which a member of the German Greens group heckled, “Mannheim is dead?”
The comment was followed by noticeable laughter in the chamber from her party colleagues.
The heckle was shut down by the left-wing minister who told the German Greens faction, “I wouldn’t laugh about it. There are colleagues sitting up there. I hope other members of the Green group agree with me that the safety of the security forces comes first when knife attacks like this occur.”
Spanger’s retort prompted a round of applause from other state MPs in the chamber.
The official minutes of the parliamentary session also recorded the disrespectful behavior in which it was noted, “Call from the GREENS: Mannheim is dead? – Laughter from the GREENS.”
It was later revealed the author of the offending remark was Tuba Bozkurt, a German Greens lawmaker born in Germany to second-generation Turkish immigrants.
Following the outrage that followed, the MP took to social media to apologize for her interjection.
“I would like to apologize for my interruption in the House of Representatives. It was irreverent and indecent and I deeply regret it,” she wrote, offering an apology to the the relatives, friends, and colleagues of Rouven L., the deceased police officer.
“Nothing is further from my mind than to create the impression of ridicule after this terrible act. I promise this won’t happen again. Police officers who put their lives and their health at risk every day for our safety have my absolute respect,” she added.
