Burning the War Machine: German Radicals Claim Coordinated Arson Against Amazon and Telekom
Executive Summary
A radical group in Berlin has claimed responsibility for the destruction of 36 Amazon and Telekom vehicles in a coordinated arson attack. The action was framed as sabotage against companies accused of profiting from militarism and genocide, particularly through their roles in supporting Israeli and Western military operations.
Analysis
In the early hours of June 17, 2025, Berlin witnessed two nearly simultaneous fires that destroyed 36 vehicles owned by Amazon and Telekom in the districts of Lichtenberg and Britz. The radical communiqué—published by Act for Freedom Now! and attributed to unnamed anti-militarists—frames the action not as isolated vandalism but as a targeted strike against “war profiteers.” The authors accuse both corporations of direct complicity in military violence, surveillance, and digital infrastructure that supports warfare, most notably against Palestinians.
Amazon is singled out for its contract with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) via Amazon Web Services (AWS), under the controversial Project Nimbus agreement. According to the communiqué, AWS servers host data related to Israel’s AI-driven targeting systems in Gaza, linking cloud infrastructure directly to on-the-ground military action. The text implies that AWS doesn’t merely support war logistics but is an active participant in the IDF’s operations, including so-called “genocidal” AI programs.
Telekom, Germany’s state-owned telecom giant, is portrayed as a key architect of the technological state. The communiqué charges Telekom with profiting from rearmament budgets, military IT services, cyber-defense training, and surveillance infrastructure at national borders. The authors also condemn the company’s partnerships with Elon Musk’s Starlink and the broader role of corporate tech empires in shaping modern war.
This attack reflects a growing tactical narrative among European anarchist and anti-militarist groups: that infrastructure sabotage is not only justified but morally necessary in resisting fascism, imperialism, and genocide. The attackers explicitly reject state-led political change, instead favoring direct action that targets the physical assets of corporations they deem complicit in violence. They call on others not only to protest war but to “reduce to ashes” the systems that enable it.
While German police have initiated arson investigations and handed the case over to the State Protection Department (for politically motivated crimes), no suspects have been apprehended. The communiqué concludes by expressing solidarity with imprisoned anarchists across Europe, reaffirming the attackers’ place within a transnational militant resistance network.
