News from Berlin
Activists occupy roof of Rheinmetall Weapons factory in Berlin
Several activists climbed onto the roof of Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH in Berlin-Mitte on March 25 to protest. “The police were alerted to Scheringstraße 2 at 6:15 a.m. today because four people were reportedly on the roof,” a police spokesperson explained then on X. According to media reports, Rheinmetall plans to have its workers produce ammunition in the factory, among other things, starting this summer. The former Pierburg plant in the Gesundbrunnen district used to produce car parts—until Rheinmetall decided to convert the site into an arms manufacturer. The conversion of the plant has met with widespread protest, for example under the slogan “No Rheinmetall in Wedding.” Source: n-tv
Man and woman injured with machete—attackers shout Nazi slogans
A man and a woman were attacked in Friedrichshain in the early hours of March 25. According to the police, the two 19-year-olds were walking on Jessnerstraße around 1:30 am when two unknown individuals began insulting them. Shortly after the initial verbal altercation, one of the men pulled a machete from his jacket. He struck the 19-year-old man in the head with it, causing facial injuries. He then attacked the woman, who suffered from a cut to her head. The attackers only stopped when eyewitnesses intervened. According to the Berliner Zeitung, the attack on the couple may have been politically motivated: the two men were shouting anti-constitutional slogans. Among them, “Sieg Heil.” Source: morgenpost
News from Germany
Iran questions Ramstein’s role in USA attacks
The Iranian ambassador to Germany, Majid Nili, has demanded a “clarification” from the German government regarding Ramstein: is the USA use of the air base for attacks on Iran an “act of aggression” as defined by UN Resolution 3314? According to this resolution, an “act of aggression” is defined as any attack by one state against another from the territory of another state. The Ramstein air base has a special status. It is located on German territory but enjoys immunity similar to a foreign embassy. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) currently sees no reason to restrict the US use of Ramstein for the war against Iran. Source: dw
Merz links “exploding violence” to immigration
On March 25 in the Bundestag, Chancelor Friedrich Merz (CDU) rejected the accusation by Green Party legal policy expert Lena Gumnior that he was not addressing the issue of protecting women from digital sexual violence. “It’s not just women in this country who are talking about this topic, but also many men,” the Christian Democrat said. “And I’m one of them.” Besides, in response to a question from CSU MP Susanne Hierl, Merz elaborated further. “We are seeing an explosion of violence in the digital sphere as well as in the real world,” he stated. He added that “a considerable portion of this violence originates from the immigrant community.” Source: fr
“We can no longer feed our children”
What began as a sanction procedure against Berlin-based journalist Hüseyin Doğru (who founded red.media in 2023) has now become a humanitarian crisis for him and his family. After the journalist, sanctioned by the EU since May 2025, was already largely cut off from financial transactions, the Central Office for Sanctions Enforcement (ZfS) has now also “secured” his wife’s accounts. For the family, such a measure is a threat to their very existence. Doğru told the Berliner Zeitung that “currently, we have only 104 euros for our three children and ourselves. Before, I couldn’t provide for my children myself. Now, no one can provide for them.” Source: bz
Inflation in Germany jumps to 2.7%
Inflation in Germany rose sharply to 2.7% in March. The Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden announced this on March 30 based on a preliminary estimate. This is the highest inflation rate in a long time. In February, the rate was 1.9%, following 2.1% in January. Energy prices, in particular, have risen sharply since the start of the war with Iran. Prices for oil and gas have skyrocketed on world markets. Most recently, the price of Brent crude oil from the North Sea was hovering around $109 per barrel (159 liters). Food prices overall have not yet risen as sharply. However, some individual prices have increased significantly year-on-year. For example, beef and veal became 11.9% more expensive, and fruit 4.8%. Source: faz
Hesse’s AfD has a new Youth Organisation
On March 28 in Fulda, 50 young members of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) founded the party’s new youth organization in Hesse, the Generation Deutschland (Generation Germany, GD). Nafiur Rahman, a 27-year-old who came to Germany as the child of immigrants from Bangladesh, was elected chairman. The establishment of the GD state association comes five months after the founding of the GD federal association in Giessen. Previously, the Junge Alternative (Young Alternative, JA), the original AfD youth organization, had dissolved itself nationwide, after being classified as confirmed right-wing extremist. Unlike the JA, which was an independent association, GD is legally and organizationally part of the AfD, increasing the parent party’s ability to intervene in it. Source: hessenschau
State plans to ban headscarves in courtrooms
Judges and public prosecutors in Brandenburg will no longer be allowed to wear religiously or politically motivated clothing and symbols in court. Headscarves, kippahs, and crosses that are visible would thus be prohibited during trials. The red-black state government intends to introduce a neutrality law for the judiciary. The goal is to ensure that citizens can trust that judicial decisions are made purely based on law. The Ministry of Justice in Potsdam stated that no timeline exists for the legislative project. The ministry was unable to provide information on whether there are any female judges or trainee lawyers wearing headscarves in Brandenburg. Source: islamiq
