A man wearing a Star of David was attacked on a tram in Erfurt, Germany, on Friday, the Thuringian Police reported.
At around 6:35 a.m., an unidentified attacker boarded the train and noticed the Jewish passenger wearing his Star of David. He then insulted the victim, attempted to pull him off the tram, and kicked him several times in the side of the body, the police said.
When the attacker failed to pull the victim off the train, he got off. One stop later, the victim left the tram but was once again met by the attacker, who threatened and beat him again before fleeing.
The attacker, who remained at large, is believed to be white, German, and around 30 years old, the police said.
According to some German media reports, the victim’s Star of David was torn from his neck.
State gov't. denounce 'obviously antisemitic' attack
The state government of Thuringia condemned the “obviously antisemitic attack in the strongest possible terms.”
The organization that represents the Jewish community said it was not sure whether the victim is Jewish, but that it has reached out to him.
Thuringia’s antisemitism commissioner, Michael Panse, said: “The protection of our Jewish fellow citizens and their property is a top priority for the state government. However, it remains a social task in particular to keep advocating that our Jewish fellow citizens can live in Thuringia without fear.”