Right-wing Dutch populist party leader Thierry Baudet was attacked by a man wielding a beer bottle at a bar Monday night, 2 days before the general election is held in the Netherlands. It is being reported that he was at the venue for a special event as he is running to keep his seat in parliament.
Baudet was taken to a hospital and treated by a trauma surgeon, AP News reports. His security guard was also injured in the incident. Footage of the attack, captured on bystanders’ phones who were excitedly capturing the leader’s appearance, circulated on social media.
In the videos, the attacker can be seen getting punched in the face and overpowered by Baudet’s security and the patrons surrounding him.
Baudet’s party, Forum for Democracy, posted to X: “It looks like everything will all be alright” and later reported he was hit on the back of his head and around his eye with a beer bottle.
One person has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack and the motive is still being investigated.
“What we can say at the moment is that Mr. Baudet was hit on the head, possibly with an object,” police spokesman Thijs de Jong said. He did not comment on Baudet’s condition in the hospital.
Just last month in October, Baudet was attacked with an umbrella at an event in the Belgian city of Ghent.
Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte posted on X that it was “totally unacceptable that Thierry Baudet has been attacked again. I said it before and I repeat it now firmly: Don’t touch politicians.”
