The Green Party’s spokesperson for anti-discrimination, Tuba Bozkurt, caused a scandal with an interjection in the Berlin House of Representatives on Thursday. As the “Tagesspiegel” newspaper reports, Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) was answering a member of parliament’s question about the murdered police officer Rouven L. and said: “The terrible death in Mannheim shows us, of course…” when a woman’s voice interrupted: “Mannheim is dead?” Several people laughed at this.

According to the preliminary plenary minutes, both the shout and the laughter came from the Green Party. It literally said: “Laughter from the Greens.” Spranger then interrupted her speech briefly and said: “I wouldn’t laugh about it. Colleagues are sitting up there.” Because Berlin police officers were sitting in the audience gallery. SPD, CDU and AfD MPs applauded her.

Spranger later told the Tagesspiegel: “I am absolutely appalled by such statements and by the fact that human life obviously does not matter. The police also protect Green MPs when they need help. Such statements must be avoided.”

The Green Party confirmed the incident on Thursday evening. The two parliamentary group leaders Werner Graf and Bettina Jarasch wrote on X: “This interjection was wrong. We will work through this in the parliamentary group. Something like this will not happen again.” And the federal chairman Omid Nouripour also wrote on X: “Such behavior is indecent. On behalf of my party, I apologize to the relatives of Rouven L. for this.”

Finally, Bozkurt himself also spoke out on X: “I would like to apologize for my interjection in the House of Representatives. It was disrespectful and indecent and I deeply regret it. I sincerely apologize to the relatives, friends and colleagues of Rouven L. whom I have hurt with it.”

Nothing is further from her mind than to create the impression of mockery after this terrible act. “I promise that this will not happen again. Police officers who risk their lives and their health every day for our safety have my unconditional respect.”