Overview

• Two activists from the Palestine Rising subcampaign of Neue Generation smeared blood-red paint on the Bundeskanzleramt facade on July 7 while unfurling a banner reading “Die Drecksarbeit ist blutig.”
• Bundespolizei officers detained the man and woman immediately and handed the case to Berlin police for investigation under charges of politically motivated property damage and violations of the city’s assembly freedom law.
• The protesters said they were driven by the daily civilian deaths in Gaza and condemned Germany’s support for Israeli military actions as complicit.
• Neue Generation, which evolved from the climate-focused Letzte Generation late last year, has expanded its direct-action tactics to protest foreign policy and democratic issues at high-profile landmarks.
• Officials have indicated that further high-visibility interventions could lead to stiffer legal penalties as authorities aim to deter property damage and unauthorized demonstrations.