- cross-posted to:
- world@lemmy.world
- cross-posted to:
- world@lemmy.world
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has reported a surge in leftwing extremism, in response to the resurgent far right and Israel’s actions in the Middle East.
Violent crimes motivated by leftwing ideological beliefs include attempted murder, assaults, sabotage and arson attacks and rose 60 per cent in 2025, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said on Tuesday.
“Leftwing extremism is on the rise again in Germany and poses a threat to public safety and order,” said interior minister Alexander Dobrindt at a news conference presenting the intelligence agency’s annual report.
He added that the phenomenon was largely a reaction to the already widespread problem of rightwing extremism in Germany, warning of a radicalising dynamic developing between the two.
“For both groups — leftwing extremists and rightwing extremists alike — we can see here that the potential for violence is rising significantly,” Dobrindt said.
…
An electricity substation in Berlin was destroyed by the leftwing terrorist Vulkangruppe in January, leaving some 100,000 residents without power in freezing conditions for several days. Authorities were surprised by the attack and have struggled to trace the origins of the group or its membership.
Leftwing terrorism plays a dark role in postwar German history: during the 1970s and 1980s the Red Army Faction, also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, conducted a campaign of robberies and bombings. They assassinated US soldiers, German diplomats and the CEO of Deutsche Bank as well as many ordinary West German citizens.
…
The BfV is now tracking multiple extremist leftwing organisations, many of which profess violence as a political tool and are mostly underground.
“We’re dealing here with highly secretive structures . . . which, at times, also operate very professionally,” said BfV president Sinan Selen.
German intelligence and law enforcement services were working hard to penetrate the organisations, he said. “Various security agencies are very active in this area, and we’ll see what the coming months bring in this respect.”
…
Under Selen, the agency has also sought to have the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) — which now polls as the country’s largest political party — classified as a rightwing extremist organisation.
The determination was struck down by a German court in February but is still under review.
“My personal assessment is that the AfD is an extremist party,” Dobrindt said on Tuesday. His agency’s goal was to continue to scrutinise the party and its membership, he said.
…
Very telling to see how many accounts in this instance justify violence against innocent people. I was aware already about the mindset here from the way this comm is moderated, but this is a new low. The saddest thing is that feddit. org is hosted by an foundation in Austria, an EU member. It should be a matter of course to comply with democratic values and the rule of law, but I don’t see this here.
Edit: feddit .org isn’t the only instance here with such a spin, unfortunately.
It’s rather telling that you conflate explanations how this article and Minister Dobrindt misinterpret and misrepresent the numbers as well as explanations how the supposed “left wing terror attacks” are all but secured left wing terror attacks with justifying violence.
I also find it very telling that you conflate these discussions with antidemocratic behaviour.
@CyberEgg@discuss.tchncs.de
If someone deliberately sabotages a railway or destroys an electricity station then I call this out. The reason for such sabotage doesn’t make a difference to the 100,000 innocent citizens who are left without power, and it doesn’t help the environment nor anything or anyone else. It’s just unnecessary, useless violence that achieved absolutely nothing except harm. This is criminal and undemocratic behaviour.
And again you are missing the point.
We don’t know who is responsible. All we have is a lettwr claiming responsibility posted on a website where anyone can post anything anonymously. That is all but proof.