"Depriving extremist leftist groups of their supportive environment": The justice senator in Berlin calls for tightening measures after the attack and power outage
The senator for justice and consumer protection in Berlin called for stricter measures against extremist leftist groups following an arson attack that caused widespread power outages in the southwest of the capital.
The Senator of Justice in Berlin, Filor Badenberg (CDU), stated that the attack highlighted the urgent need to reconsider how the political system deals with left-wing extremism, emphasizing that protecting the population requires the removal of 'political blind spots' and a more serious approach to this threat.
According to current data, authorities believe that the claim of responsibility for the attack published online by what is known as the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) is an authentic message. Badenberg clarified that regardless of the name, there is sufficient evidence that the perpetrators belong to the far-left movement and acted with clear political motives.
Badenburg emphasized that relying solely on criminal law is not enough, calling for depriving these groups of their 'Nährboden' (breeding ground), including distancing them from the prevailing political discourse. She warned that inviting the Antifa group or extremist groups close to it to public events or funding them with taxpayers' money weakens the system from within.
She added that such sabotage attacks require precise knowledge of critical infrastructure and advanced methods to avoid leaving evidence, allowing for damage estimated in the millions and disrupting the lives of tens of thousands of people. Security agencies see these acts as part of a broader strategy aimed at undermining the system through crimes and infiltrating the fringes of political discourse.
According to Badenberg, what is known as the Vulkangruppen has carried out repeated attacks on sensitive points of infrastructure in Berlin and Brandenburg since 2011. These attacks have often resulted in serious consequences for the population, significant material damage, and in some cases, posed a risk of collapse of the targeted buildings.