Berlin
Berlin: Left-wing youth calls police "criminal clan" - Spranger demands apology
Published September 27, 2026
After a demonstration against compulsory military service in Berlin and the associated temporary arrests, the youth organisation of the Left Party sharply attacked the Berlin police. Interior Senator Spranger and Wegner expressed clear criticism.
The youth organisation of the Berlin party Die Linke has verbally attacked the police online in connection with a demonstration and described them as a "criminal clan". During the demonstration of students and other participants against conscription on Friday, "a criminal clan, equipped with pistols, quartz gloves, clubs and pepper spray", harassed the demonstrators. This means "the Berlin police", according to an Instagram post posted on Saturday by the Left Youth Solid Berlin. The young people would vote for a policy change against "continuing to manage the rearmament and police force with the SPD and the Greens", it was also said on X.
The Berlin Left Party wants to talk to the Greens and the SPD about forming a government coalition. Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) said she was firmly on the side of the Berlin police. "It is a political stupidity to defame the Berlin police in such a way." The officials would stand up for law and security in Berlin every day and also risk their own health. She demanded: "Apologize to the Berlin police for this incredible derailment." Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) also criticized the choice of words in an article on X: "This is another complete derailment and can not be justified by anything," he wrote.
Anyone who equates police officers with criminal clans and defames them "leaves the ground of any democratic discourse". The police have ensured that freedom of assembly applies in Berlin – also for this student strike. "I condemn such attacks on our forces in the strongest possible terms." Several thousand people took part in the demonstration on Friday. The police had initially assumed a peaceful course and around 2,400 participants.
She later corrected the number to about 3,400. According to the police, 16 people have been temporarily arrested. Several people are said to have ignited pyrotechnics on the roof of a library and attached a poster. In addition, there were chants with "criminally relevant content", the Berlin police said.
Charges were filed for insulting, damaging property, and using license plates of unconstitutional and terrorist organizations. Broadcast: rbb24 Abendschau, 27.09.2026, 7:30 pm Video: rbb24 Abendschau, 27.09.2026