German police: possible political motivation behind spray attack

German police are investigating a toxic spray attack in the northern port city of Rostock for a possible political motive, reported dpa.

About four and a half hours before the attack, a picture of the victim was published on the Twitter account of the anti-fascist group Alerta Berlin.

The post said that the man had given a Hitler salute during a demonstration in the area on Saturday.

During the attack on Saturday evening, the 25-year-old man was sprayed with an as yet unknown liquid which caused severe burning and reddening of the skin.

According to the police, hooded perpetrators knocked on the window of the victim's ground floor flat. When the resident opened the window, he was sprayed with the liquid - which was said to smell like chilli or Tabasco sauce - on his face and naked upper body.

The perpetrators fled and the man was taken to hospital. He was discharged on Sunday.

Several thousand people gathered in the borough of Rostock-Lichtenhagen on Saturday to commemorate racist attacks on migrants and asylum-seekers in the district 30 years ago.