Following a surge in left-wing extremist Antifa attacks this year, the Leipzig police say they will be increasing their presence in the city on New Year’s Eve to protect emergency services from potential attacks.
The announcement comes after left-wing extremists are suspected of being behind an arson attack on Sunday that saw two police vehicles set on fire and a third vehicle used by the city police and the Leipzig police directorate damaged as a result, German tabloid Bild reports.
According to a spokesman from the State Criminal Police Office (LKA), a power distribution box was also set on fire at a different location on the same evening, with the fire spreading to a radio mast but not doing any permanent damage to the structure.
The police special unit against left-wing extremism (LinX) has taken over investigations into both incidents and on Monday a note was posted online by far-leftists taking credit for the incidents and stating, “If you take our media away from us, we will destroy your stuff.”
The note refers to the shut down of the notorious far-left web platform Indymedia and the site “linksunten” which was shut down in the wake of the massive wave of Antifa violence during the Hamburg G20 in 2017. A trial in connection to the site is set to begin in January.
Police spokesman Alexander Bertram commented on the new measures to protect emergency services, including police officers, saying, “We will take protective measures, but you will not be able to see everything. But where we will do it and in what detail, of course, I can’t reveal.”
In 2019 alone, the city of Leipzig has seen an estimated 357 attacks by Antifa extremists including arsons on construction sites in October that totalled 10 million euros in damages.
Extremists went as far as invading the home of a 34-year-old female real estate employee connected to the construction in the city and viciously assaulted her in her own home in November.
Following the attacks, Leipzig authorities offered a 100,000 euro bounty for anyone who could help them identify the extremists behind the arsons.
Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com
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