Nearly 10,000 Politically Motivated Crimes Documented During German Election Period

The BKA reports a significant rise in election-related offenses, including vandalism and violent acts, with police unions demanding greater support and resources.

The German Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) recorded 9,631 politically motivated crimes linked to the Bundestag election, marking a notable increase in such offenses.
Over 7,000 of the recorded incidents involved property damage, such as vandalized election posters, followed by 400 propaganda-related offenses involving banned symbols.
The majority of these crimes (6,318) could not be clearly categorized as left- or right-wing, while 2,172 were linked to left-wing and 1,130 to right-wing motivations.
Among the offenses, 192 were classified as violent crimes, with 118 attributed to left-wing actors, 19 to right-wing actors, and 54 uncategorized.
Police officials described the situation as a 'new dimension' of politically motivated crime, urging increased investment in law enforcement and expressing frustration over a lack of acknowledgment from political leaders.