A protester was shot in the face with a suspected air gun during a demonstration in the eastern German city of Halle following the historic election in Saxony-Anhalt, police said on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Monday evening during a march organized by a group called the Federation of Class Struggle Organizations in response to the resounding victory by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the closely watched vote on Sunday.
The demonstration in Halle, south-east of the state capital Magdeburg, drew around 850 participants, police said. The state security authority has now launched an investigation.
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During the closing rally on August Bebel square, participants were suddenly fired upon by an unknown person from a neighbouring residential building – presumably using an air rifle or an airsoft weapon, police said.
The 25-year-old demonstrator sustained minor injuries. He was treated on the spot by rescue workers and did not need to be taken to hospital.
Police secured evidence at the scene and searched two neighbouring apartment buildings. The perpetrator remains unidentified.