Activist Group Claims Responsibility for Berlin Power Outage

Fire Sparked by Activist Group

A leftist activist group in Germany has claimed responsibility for a suspicious armed attack that left tens of thousands of households, as well as hospitals and businesses, without electricity in near-freezing temperatures. Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) stated in a press release that the target of the action was not the power outage itself, but the fossil fuel-based economy.

By Thursday, power is expected to be restored for all customers, although some schools will remain closed at the beginning of this week. On Saturday morning, multiple cables on a bridge were seen ablaze near a power plant in southwest Berlin. The fire was extinguished quickly, but approximately 45,000 households and 2,200 businesses were left without electricity.

The state’s economy minister told German media that incendiary devices had caused the damages. The Mayor of Berlin condemned the attack, accusing "left-wing extremists" of endangering lives, particularly those of patients in hospitals. Hospitals and care centers received emergency generators, and officials stated that individuals from affected areas were transferred to facilities with available capacity.

By Sunday afternoon, around 10,000 households and 300 businesses were reconnected, with the majority still awaiting the restoration of power. Some schools, which were scheduled to return to normal after the Christmas break, will remain closed. The capital's electricity operator indicated it would take until Thursday to reconnect all customers.

In its statement, Vulkangruppe expressed apologies to less affluent residents affected by the outages, but added that it had less sympathy for "many mansion properties." The statement emphasized that the attack on the gas power plant was an "act of self-defense" and solidarity with those protecting the Earth. Police told AFP that they consider the statement "plausible" and are continuing investigations, with other media reporting that police regard it as credible.