A reporter from Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) was attacked by a man on the sidelines of a press conference on a campaign for corona vaccination in Munich.

The reporter had filed a complaint for assault, a police spokesman said on Wednesday.

The incident happened on Tuesday at a press conference held by Bavaria's Health Minister Klaus Holetschek (CSU) on a campaign for booster vaccinations in the middle of Marienplatz.

According to the information, during an open question and answer session, “a 23-year-old who was already known to the police” from Munich attacked journalists and insulted them “as traitors to the people and vaccination terrorists”.

According to the police, the man came back later after being sent off – and is said to have hit the 38-year-old journalist in the face.

He was arrested, according to the police, he also insulted the officials – and was reported for physical harm, disturbance of public peace, threats and insults.

"Attack on journalists is also an attack on press freedom"

According to BR, the man attacked the reporter with several punches on the head on Tuesday when he was interviewing the listener.

After employees of a security service had pushed the man back, the attacker ambushed the reporter on the way to the car and attacked him again with punches.

"Hateful, violent attacks against journalists are always an attack on press freedom and thus an attack on our open and free society," said Bavaria's Media Minister Florian Herrmann (CSU).

The crime will be punished “with all the consequences of the rule of law”.

“The rule of law must be particularly defensive at this point, because hateful words and acts of violence follow from twisted thoughts.”

BR director Katja Wildermuth condemned the attack on Wednesday.

"Every attack on journalists is also an attack on freedom of the press." BR editor-in-chief Christian Nitsche spoke of the most serious attack on a BR colleague to date.

Reporters were verbally attacked again and again during the corona pandemic at demonstrations.

"The current violent attack goes beyond this dimension," said Nitsche.

Holetschek demands quick clarification

Health Minister Holetschek called for the background to the attack to be clarified quickly on Wednesday.

Every violent attack on journalists is also an attack on democracy, said Holetschek.

"The media must be able to report freely without fear of intimidation."

Discussions are important in the debate about the right course of action in the corona pandemic.

However, Holetschek emphasized that insults should be avoided.

"But anyone who stirs up hatred on the Internet, for example, shares responsibility for acts of violence."

The Bavarian Association of Journalists stated that journalists should be able to go about their work without fear, as there are a number of similar acts.

"More and more frequently, frustration and anger about the political protagonists erupts in hostilities up to massive fisticuffs against the messengers who bring the news," said the deputy BJV chairman Wolfgang Grebenhof.