Being Black in Germany has never been easy. Elections in eastern states could make it harder still
The eastern German states of Thuringia, Saxony and Brandenburg are set to elect new parliaments next month, and in all three states the far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, is ahead in the polls
By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Published - Aug 27, 2024, 05:20 AM ET
Last Updated - Aug 27, 2024, 05:20 AM EDT
ERFURT, Germany (AP) — It was a balmy summer night in 2020, shortly after the lifting of Germany’s first COVID-19 lockdown, and Omar Diallo and two friends from his home country of Guinea wanted to celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Muslim festival of sacrifice.
“We were enjoying life, playing music, walking through the city at night — we just wanted to be together again and have a good time,” Diallo, 22, told The Associated Press in Erfurt, in the eastern state of Thuringia.
He was not prepared for how the day would end. Suddenly Diallo and his friends were confronted by three black-clad white men.
“They were shouting: ‘What do you want here, f-——- foreigners, get out’!” Diallo remembered.
