Investigation opened after series of fires on German railways, suspicion turns to far left

An investigation has been opened after a far-left movement published a letter claiming responsibility for a series of fires on German railway infrastructure in Bremen, Hamburg and Berlin, German police said Saturday. Bremen police are verifying the authenticity of the letter and are working with authorities in the other two cities, a spokeswoman told AFP.

The letter, published Friday on the far-left online platform Indymedia, clearly refers to an incident on Monday, in which unknown persons set fire to cables on the rail network of Deutsche Bahn, the German railways. In the letter, Deutsche Bahn is described as a central element of the capitalist system and military infrastructure.

The sabotage that occurred in Bremen on Monday significantly disrupted traffic to the neighboring city of Hamburg, also in the north of the country. On Friday, a fire in the railway network cables in Berlin also caused serious repercussions for traffic in the German capital. An investigation has been opened, but Deutsche Bahn has already ruled out that the fire had a technical cause.

Eight days ago in France, just before the opening of the Olympic Games, the SNCF was the victim of acts of sabotage against the TGV network, causing very significant disruptions in the middle of the school holidays. Fiber optic cables running near the tracks and guaranteeing the transmission of safety information for drivers (red lights, points, etc.) were cut and set on fire at various locations on the network. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin stressed that this was a “traditional mode of action of the ultra-left”.