Overview
- Bernd Baumann’s BMW and three nearby vehicles burned outside his Hamburg home during the night to Monday, with no injuries reported.
- Hamburg police say a claim of responsibility posted on Indymedia appears authentic and describe the case as politically motivated from the left, while formal attribution remains under investigation by the Staatsschutz.
- AfD leaders condemned the attack as an assault on democracy and called for solidarity, while SPD and Green leaders publicly denounced the violence and the Left Party’s chair rejected violence from any side.
- Hesse’s interior minister Roman Poseck condemned the suspected arson, warned about rising left‑wing extremism, raised the question of potential bans for Antifa‑linked actors as a legal matter, and said police plan a strong presence for an upcoming AfD youth meeting in Gießen.
- Baumann cites repeated prior attacks near his residence and says police protection has been temporary, adding that fear in his household and neighborhood has grown.