Germany’s police trade union has lashed out at Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far right AfD party, for comparing today’s domestic intelligence agency with the notorious Stasi secret police of the defunct communist state of East Germany.

Weidel’s comparison trivialized the crimes committed by the Stasi during the 1945-90 period, when East Germany was under communist rule, the German Police Union (GdP) said, terming her comparison an “insult.”

“It trivializes the injustice of the time and is in addition a smack in the teeth to those who really did fight for freedom and democracy in 1989,” the GdP said in a statement issued on Sunday.

The co-leader of the AfD (Alternative for Germany) had made the comparison in an interview with the Welt-TV broadcaster, describing intelligence agency staff as “dirty Stasi spies.”

Weidel also targeted the intelligence chief in the state of Thuringia, Stephan Kramer, in a personal attack on his appearance.

“Take a look at this domestic intelligence agency chief in Thuringia, this Kramer over there with that beard of his and so on – what kind of people they are, the way he looks, as though he were a member of motorbike club,” she said.

The police union said that GdP head Jochen Kopelke saw Weidel’s “targeted and derogatory attacks” as part of attempts to intimidate intelligence agency staff.

“But we in the security authorities will not allow ourselves to be intimidated and will continue to work daily to protect our democracy and the security of all in the federal republic,” Kopelke said in the statement.

In May, the domestic intelligence agency announced that it would rate the AfD as having “confirmed right-wing extremist” leanings, in a step that has consequences for how the party is monitored.

The intelligence agency rating has been set aside while the courts hear an objection lodged by the AfD.

Local AfD associations are seen as confirmed right-wing extremist by the intelligence authorities in four of Germany’s 16 states. In a further five, the party associations are rated as suspect.

In Germany’s parliamentary elections in February, the AfD secured 20.8% of the vote, coming second to Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative alliance. Polls show continuing strong support for Weidel’s party.