Berlin was hit by a relentless wave of left-wing arson attacks last year, with hundreds of vehicles torched in what police describe as a sustained campaign of extremist violence.
Official figures show that 407 cars were deliberately set on fire in 2025, with a further 231 vehicles damaged by spreading flames, keeping total losses at alarmingly high levels. Police classified 35 of the attacks as politically motivated, incidents that alone damaged 48 additional vehicles.
Investigators say the arson spree is overwhelmingly the work of organised left-wing and left-wing extremist groups, with around nine vehicles set ablaze every week. Roadside parking areas and company premises have been repeatedly targeted, particularly in Neukölln, Marzahn-Hellersdorf and Lichtenberg.
Several attacks were so large-scale they drew national attention. In June, nearly 100 firefighters were deployed after 17 telecommunications vans and 19 delivery vehicles were burned on company premises in Berlin. In October, two unmarked police vehicles were set on fire near the Kaiserdamm area.
Police say the politically motivated offenders are highly organised, yet no suspects have been identified in this category. Investigators list motives including antirepression, antifascism and antimilitarism, with targets ranging from logistics firms and communications companies to state institutions.
The vehicle arson forms part of a wider surge in left-wing extremist violence across Germany. In recent weeks, attacks attributed to leftist militants have expanded beyond property destruction to critical infrastructure, including Berlin’s power network, leaving tens of thousands without electricity during freezing winter conditions.
Federal government data underscores the scale of the problem. In the year up to November 30, 2025, authorities recorded 931 left-wing motivated violent crimes nationwide, an increase of around 45 per cent compared with the previous year.
