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SPD headquarters evacuated

May 22, 2017

A suspicious object was found at the headquarters of Germany's Social Democrat party, triggering an evacuation. The incident came as the party prepares to present key points of its election platform.

https://p.dw.com/p/2dM6x
Deutschland Verdächtiger Gegenstand in SPD-Parteizentrale
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Fischer

The headquarters of Germany's Social Democratic Party in Berlin were evacuated by police on Monday after a suspicious object was found in the mailroom, a press spokesman said.

Members of the party executive and staff gathered outside the Willy-Brandt-Haus on the opposite side of the street while the building in the district of Kreuzberg was being secured.

Police gave the all clear after around an hour, saying the object had been a harmless wooden box.

Deutschland Verdächtiger Gegenstand in SPD-Parteizentrale
SPD politicians and staff gathered on the street outsideImage: picture-alliance/dpa/G. Fischer

The party executive had been due to discuss the draft of the SPD government program, which is to be finally decided upon on June 25. Although much of its content has already been established, several points regarding pension and taxation policy still need to be finalized.

Key points of the program were to be presented at a press talk in the afternoon at the Willy-Brandt-Haus.

Read: Germany's oldest political party: the Social Democrat SPD

tj/rt (Reuters, dpa)