Germany: AfD accused of 'racist' coloring book

Investigators are probing an event held by regional parliamentarians from the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, at which xenophobic coloring books were allegedly handed out, German media reported on Tuesday.

The AfD event took place in Krefeld, 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of Dusseldorf, in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

In response to a tweet, local police said: "We are aware of these children's coloring books. We already have a complaint against the AfD parliamentary group for sedition."

Pictures containing guns and veils

The booklet bore the name "North Rhine-Westphalia for coloring in," and on one page shows people brandishing guns from within vehicles, many of whom are holding Turkish flags.

On another page, under the banner "We carry the can for this," you can see caricatures of women in burqas and a hand with a knife emerging menacingly towards a swimming pool. It also shows stereotypical caricatures of people with bones in their hair and thick lips.

Supposed to be satirical

The AfD parliamentary group described the criticism as an "attack on the freedom of art and satire." It spoke of an "art book with satirical sketches on the situation in the country" and said it was "inspired by a coloring book for adults."

Referring to far-left, anti-fascist group Antifa, AfD politician and parliamentary group leader, Markus Wagner, said in a statement that "when Antifa extremists attack artistic freedom, there can only be one answer: we increase the number of copies!"

SPD: AfD has an 'inhuman ideology'

German politician Thomas Kutschaty (SPD), who is a member of the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia, wrote in response to the Krefeld Police tweet: "The #NoAfD has published a racist coloring book. Now it wants to incite children with its inhuman ideology. A note on waste recycling: This book belongs in the brown bin."

The AfD is now the third-largest group in the Bundestag, the German parliament. The party formed in 2013 with an opposition to bailouts of indebted European Union member states, such as Greece. However, over the years it has become, first and foremost, an anti-immigration party.

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