Two arrested for setting fire to AfD election posters in Berlin-Spandau

Berlin police arrested two men early Saturday on suspicion of setting fire to two election posters belonging to the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Spandau district. The incident occurred overnight, with the suspects allegedly throwing flammable materials at the posters.

According to police reports, a 24-year-old and a 26-year-old are accused of damaging one poster each at Falkenseer Damm and Falkenseer Platz. Firefighters extinguished the burning posters. Police recorded the personal details of the suspects before releasing them. The State Security Service of the State Criminal Police Office has taken over the investigation into the vandalism.

These acts are part of a larger pattern of destruction targeting election materials in Berlin. Official figures reveal that AfD posters have been the most frequent targets, with 117 cases reported. Other parties have also seen their posters damaged, including the CDU (33 cases), SPD (23), Die Linke (18), FDP (16), Alliance 90/The Greens (7), BSW (5), and Volt (3). Some destroyed posters could not be attributed to any specific party.

Overall, Berlin police have registered a total of 227 reported cases of property damage to election posters up to August 17. The ongoing investigations aim to address the increasing frequency of such incidents across the city.