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The equipment of a camera team after an attack in Berlin
Photo: Christoph Soeder / dpa
The European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) registered a significant increase in attacks on journalists in Germany last year.
The non-profit organization from Leipzig lists 69 physical attacks in its annual analysis for 2020 published on Tuesday.
That is the highest number since the survey began six years ago.
In 2019 there were 14 cases, in 2018 26 were registered.
"The main reason for the sharp increase are the many acts of violence at pandemic-related gatherings," said a statement from the ECPMF.
71 percent of the registered attacks took place there.
The association defines attacks as, for example, punches, kicks, pushes, spitting or attacking with weapons.
The EU-backed center, which advocates freedom of the press, located 31 cases on the right and five on the left.
The main focus of the attacks was the capital Berlin, with 23 cases.
In previous years, the state of Saxony had topped the list.
There were 19 attacks there in 2020, but still a comparatively high number.
sak / dpa