Left-wing extremist crimes more than doubled in Germany’s largest state last year, with violent incidents and infrastructure attacks also rising, according to state authorities.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Authorities in Germany’s most populous state have reported a sharp increase in left-wing extremist criminal activity over the past year, with total offenses more than doubling compared to the previous reporting period.
According to the interior ministry in Düsseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia recorded more than 2,400 left-wing extremist crimes in 2025. That figure marks a significant rise from the 1,187 cases logged the year prior, as reported by broadcaster NTV.
State data show violent offenses attributed to left-wing extremists increased from 86 to 153 incidents over the same period. Property crimes rose from 488 cases to 1,190. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution in North Rhine-Westphalia also documented a rise in attacks targeting critical infrastructure, including power facilities, major industrial sites and rail networks. Officials said six railway-related attacks were recorded in 2025, compared to two the previous year.
Interior Minister Herbert Reul addressed the trend, stating, “The acts are becoming more brutal, more professional, more personal.” He added that collateral damage is increasingly being “accepted in the name of a supposedly higher goal,” while emphasizing that security authorities have “all enemies of our democracy in their sights.”
Authorities said extremist groups are increasingly using social media to recruit young people by promoting radical actions alongside what officials described as a “lifestyle image.” The extremist landscape, officials noted, ranges from loosely affiliated cells operating within political movements to smaller organized communist groups.
Recent incidents have intensified public debate over the scope of left-wing extremist activity in Germany. Last month, more than 45,000 households and 2,200 commercial properties in Berlin lost power following what officials described as suspected leftist sabotage of a critical power line. The outage disrupted rail service and affected hospital operations, with some neighborhoods reportedly without electricity for up to five days during winter conditions. Authorities have not announced arrests in that case.
The issue has also drawn international attention. The U.S. government has designated several European Antifa-linked groups as terrorist organizations, including a German faction known as the “hammer gang.” A German transgender member of that group was sentenced to eight years in prison in Hungary last month for attacks carried out in Budapest in 2023. The case drew reactions from segments of Germany’s political class, some of whom publicly called for the individual’s release.
North Rhine-Westphalia officials said monitoring and enforcement efforts will continue as authorities respond to the rise in extremist-related activity.
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