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Arson attack in Leipzig-Connewitz: Political violence escalates!
There have been arson attacks on construction sites in the Connewitz district of Leipzig, possibly with a political motive, while the police are investigating.
Arson attack in Leipzig-Connewitz: Political violence escalates!
On Saturday night there was a temporary climax in left-wing extremist activity in the Connewitz district of Leipzig when unknown perpetrators set construction site barriers on fire. These incidents took place during a protest in which around 20 people took part with a banner. Connewitz is known as a hotspot for the left-wing scene, which puts the events in this district in a larger political context. According to Borkener Zeitung, three members of the group used pyrotechnics to set a fire at a construction site, which was quickly extinguished by residents. During the action, stones and bags of paint were also thrown at the citizen police officer's office, resulting in several damaged windows. The perpetrators were able to leave the crime scene undetected while the police investigated a breach of the peace.
A few hours earlier, another sacrilege occurred in the same area. An excavator on the Hentschke Bau GmbH construction site was set on fire, which caused great excitement among the company's management. Managing director Jörg Drews expressed dismay at the incident and emphasized that a total of ten arson attacks have been carried out on the company's construction sites in recent years. According to MDR there could be a political motive behind this case of damage. A letter of responsibility published on the left-wing extremist website “indymedia” mentions resistance to “fascism of the Saxon type” as the reasons for the attack.
Political background and feedback
Hentschke Bau GmbH had previously made large donations to the AfD and Ostsachsen.TV, which is seen as a possible trigger for the attacks. According to estimates, the total damage caused by the repeated attacks amounts to almost two million euros. Drews criticized the allegedly inadequate measures taken by the judiciary and politicians to deal with politically motivated crimes. Highest representatives of the CDU, such as Bautzen's mayor Karsten Vogt and district administrator Udo Witschas, strongly condemned the arson attack and called for the perpetrators to be prosecuted, especially pointing out that no perpetrators were identified in previous attacks.
Left-wing extremist extremism is not only a growing security problem in Saxony. According to the Verfassungsschutz, the number of left-wing extremist crimes in 2023 is 4,248 offenses increased, an increase of 10.4% compared to the previous year. Violent acts in this context have also increased, with a total of 727 offenses recorded, an increase of 20.8%.
The situation in Connewitz and the repeated attacks on the Hentschke Bau GmbH construction sites illustrate the tense situation in Leipzig and the influence of political motives on crime in the region. It remains to be seen how the investigation will progress and what measures the authorities will take to counteract the increasing violence.