Munich mayor revokes Oktoberfest table for Die Linke after FDP politician is slapped
Munich Mayor Dominik Krause has revoked the Die Linke faction's reserved Oktoberfest table after a woman slapped FDP leader Jörg Hoffmann during a dispute over pro-Palestinian chants in the council box.
Altercation in the Schottenhamel tent
A political dispute inside the Munich city council box at the Oktoberfest beer festival resulted in a physical assault against a municipal politician. The altercation took place in the reserved area for political factions and city hall staff, situated on the balcony of the Schottenhamel festival tent. FDP city councillor Patricia Riekel stated that a group sitting at the table allocated to the Die Linke faction altered the lyrics of the song Sweet Caroline to sing pro-Palestinian slogans. FDP faction leader Jörg Hoffmann approached the group, which consisted partly of members of the Linksjugend youth wing, and demanded that they stop chanting. Tent security subsequently expelled the individuals involved from the tent. Several women from the group later returned to Hoffmann's table, insulted him as a perpetrator and friend of genocide, and one woman slapped him across the face.
Mayoral sanctions on council seating
Following the incident, Munich Mayor Dominik Krause from the Green party intervened by stripping Die Linke of their reserved seats in the city council box for the remainder of the festival. The disciplinary measure remains in effect until the Oktoberfest concludes on the coming Sunday. City council factions in Munich traditionally receive one or more designated tables in the Schottenhamel tent box, which they are permitted to allocate to councillors, administrative staff, and personal guests. Krause condemned the act as an unacceptable breach of conduct and emphasized that physical confrontation has no place in democratic discourse.
Oktoberfest is not a place for political agitation. The physical attack on our city council colleague Jörg Hoffmann, to whom I offer my full solidarity, is completely unacceptable. Violence must never be a means of political debate.
Krause added that the swift apology offered by Die Linke faction leadership represented a positive initial step in addressing the altercation.
- A group at the Die Linke table chants pro-Palestinian slogans to the tune of Sweet Caroline.
- Jörg Hoffmann asks the group to stop and is later confronted and slapped by a female guest.
- Mayor Dominik Krause revokes Die Linke's council box table for the rest of the festival.
- The FDP decides against filing criminal charges over the altercation.
Faction apology and disciplinary measures
Stefan Jagel, the chairman of the Die Linke faction in Munich city hall, issued a direct apology to Hoffmann and announced internal reviews. Jagel stated that the woman responsible for the slap attended as a friend of a party member and does not hold membership in Die Linke or the Linksjugend youth wing. He expressed personal distress over the incident and affirmed that the individuals involved would be permanently barred from receiving festival invitations through the faction. Jagel also confirmed plans to speak directly with the woman involved in the confrontation.
What was described to me is a no-go. I am also personally very affected. I immediately apologized to Mr Hoffmann for this.
Jagel stated that the matter would be placed on the agenda for the next district executive committee meeting. While Jagel stated that he could understand Mayor Krause's decision to revoke the table, he expressed frustration that uninvolved guests of the Linke faction had their reservations cancelled as a result of the blanket ban. For their part, representatives of the FDP indicated that they would not pursue formal criminal charges against the assailant.
