Bad Lobenstein (dpa/th) - The non-party mayor of Bad Lobenstein, Thomas Weigelt, who came under pressure because of an attack on a journalist, continues to refuse to resign. "I am against any prejudice," Weigelt told the German Press Agency. The local politician attacked a newspaper reporter over the weekend. The local journalist fell and injured his elbow, according to the "Ostthüringer Zeitung".
According to the mayor, he felt provoked by the journalist, but denies an attack. A short video sequence on Twitter shows how Weigelt approaches the reporter's camera with his hand outstretched and grabs it - then the image blurs, the lens points towards the ground. The journalist filed a criminal complaint on suspicion of bodily harm.
According to the "Ostthüringer Zeitung", he had previously wanted to do research at a reception given by the mayor, to which a man belonging to the so-called Reich Citizens' Scene was said to have been invited.
The incident drew nationwide criticism. There were numerous calls for Weigelt's resignation - including from media associations and Thuringia's Interior Minister Georg Maier (SPD).
