Germany: Tempers flare in Bundestag over Halle shooting, Syria

W/S Debating chamber, Berlin
C/U Camera
SOT, Rudiger Lucassen, MP from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party (German): "It is intolerable what leading representatives of our state had the nerve to say after the murders in Halle. You blame the biggest opposition [party] of Germany for the acts of a crazy person."
M/S MPs heckling
W/S Debating chamber
SOT, Christian Schmidt, MP from the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party (German): "Your party said 'What is worse? A damaged synagogue door or two killed Germans?' You do not seem to be interested in the fact that behind this door there were 50 people — also predominantly German by the way — who feared for their lives. That's exactly the point why Berthold Brecht is still right today. 'The womb he crawled from is still going strong.'"
W/S Debating chamber *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Paul Armin Hampel, MP from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party (German): "I won't allow you to call me an anti-semite, a racist or anything else. It's intolerable what you ascribe to my party. Using the same logic, we could say that by opening the borders you were the arsonist for mass murder, death and rape in this country. That would be the same logic you are using here. Shame on you."
M/S MPs *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Agniezka Brugger, MP from the Green Party (German): "Today and in the past, this federal government has refused to call these invasions by their names — a violation of human rights. To express this truth — it's the bare minimum you can expect from a chancellor, a foreign and a defence minister. By not doing it, they are showing President Erdogan and the despots of this world that they don't need to fear consequences for enforcing their interests through the military and violence. The federal government has made itself highly prone to blackmail through the EU-Turkey deal."
M/S Audience *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Paul Armin Hampel, MP from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party (German): "If we put aside our prejudices, today we would have the opportunity to talk to those who act and have the real power in Syria. And it's not the Americans, let alone the Europeans — it's the Russians. They acted smartly by shoving themselves in between the Syrian troops, Kurds and Turks. The Russians are the peacemakers at the moment, and no other party does that on this battlefield. Let's sit together with the Russians in the UN, let's get the 'okay' from the Americans to do that, who have played a sad role here. That would be real politics for Europe, for Germany and in the interests of the Kurds in Syria and also for the Turks who are being stripped of their futures by their president at the moment."
W/S German eagle statue
W/S Debating chamber
SCRIPT
Tempers flared in the German parliament, in Berlin on Wednesday, after Christian Democratic Union MP Holger Stahlknecht reportedly blamed the Alternative for Germany party for the Halle shooting, accusing it of "mental arson." Stahlknecht's remarks prompted a heated response from AfD MPs.
"It is intolerable what leading representatives of our state had the nerve to say after the murders in Halle. You blame the biggest opposition [party] of Germany for the acts of a crazy person," said Rudiger Lucassen from the AfD.
"Your party said 'What is worse? A damaged synagogue door or two killed Germans?' You seem not to be interested in the fact that behind this door there were 50 people — also predominantly German by the way — who feared for their lives. That's exactly the point why Berthold Brecht is still right today. 'The womb he crawled from is still going strong.'," replied Christian Schmidt from the CDU.
"I won't allow you to call me an anti-semite, a racist or anything else. It's intolerable what you ascribe to my party. Using the same logic, we could say that by opening the borders you were the arsonist for mass murder, death and rape in this country. That would be the same logic you are using here. Shame on you," said Paul Armin Hampel from the AfD.
The heated exchange took place during a debate on the situation in northeast Syria. AfD politician Paul Armin Hampel called on the government to cooperate with Russia to deescalate the situation, calling the country the only peacemaker on the battlefield.
The Greens MP Agniezka Brugger criticised German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the German government, and the EU for the refugee pact with Erdogan, calling it a weak spot of the EU.