Radical left-wing individuals plot additional assaults on trains
The German railway is bolstering its monitoring efforts with the use of mobile cameras, thermal imaging technology, motion sensors, and drones, as it faces increasing threats from militant groups like the left-wing extremist "Switch Off" campaign. This group, classified as the most significant militant current in left-wing extremism by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution in 2023, has been responsible for similar attacks in Germany and neighbouring countries for the past two years.
The "Switch Off" campaign, which combines classic anti-capitalist slogans with climate political themes and rejects state action to address the climate crisis, claimed responsibility for an arson attack on a cable vault near Düsseldorf in 2023, causing train traffic disruptions across half of Germany. The group operates under various names, making it difficult to track and prevent such attacks.
In response to these threats, the Federal Ministry of the Interior is referring to the planned Kritis roof law, which will create binding standards for the protection of critical infrastructures. Operators who supply more than 500,000 people will have to submit risk analyses and implement resilience measures under this law. Hans-Walter Borries from the Federal Association for the Protection of Critical Infrastructures demands annual risk analyses and clear guidelines for drone detection and perimeter protection.
However, experts doubt that the Kritis roof law will be sufficient to prevent militant groups like "Switch Off" from permanently targeting German infrastructure. The company has ruled out a fence around the 34,000-kilometer-long network due to its size. Instead, Manuel Atug from the AG Kritis demands highly mobile disruption teams to quickly repair damage.
The nature of these disruption teams remains unclear, but they could involve technical personnel from fields like information technology, communication technology, and engineering, responsible for the repair of technical systems. Behördenmitarbeiter could be involved in the administration and coordination of these teams, including the planning and management of the disruption teams. Politische Entscheidungsträger could determine the necessity of such measures and provide the corresponding resources. Private service providers could offer specialized services in the repair and maintenance of technical systems.
Activists from the "Switch Off" campaign call for attacks on the "infrastructure of capitalism". In September 2024, a brochure titled "Setting cables on fire for beginners" was published, providing instructions for sabotage acts using materials readily available from supermarkets or hardware stores. This brochure is still publicly accessible.
The "Switch Off" campaign has been posting claim of responsibility statements on the left-wing platform Indymedia. The group's actions highlight the urgent need for comprehensive measures to protect critical infrastructure in Germany.
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