Far-right extremists target Germany’s first public Ramadan lights

Elham Asaad Buaras

Authorities in the southwestern German city of Freiburg have launched a criminal investigation after the city’s first-ever public Ramadan light display was repeatedly sabotaged by far-right activists. The attacks, which involved both physical vandalism and the hanging of a provocative banner, have prompted an outpouring of interfaith solidarity across the region.

The incidents began on the night of February 21, when several power cables at the illuminated installation near Seepark were cut, rendering the display inoperative. Another attack followed the following afternoon, when three individuals climbed the structure to hang a banner over the “Happy Ramadan” greeting, which sits approximately six metres above the ground.

The banner featured a cross alongside the words “Gesegnete Fastenzeit” (Blessed Lent), referencing the Christian season that currently coincides with the Muslim holy month.

According to reports in the German press, the far-right Identitarian Movement (Identitäre Bewegung) claimed responsibility for the stunt on social media, releasing footage as a propaganda video. Maximilian Märkl, a federal spokesman for the group, declared that “Islam does not belong to Germany,” labelling the display a “symbol of submission.”

Freiburg Mayor Martin Horn issued a scathing condemnation of the group’s actions.
“Such actions aim to divide us, but we will not allow that,” he said. “We stand for tolerance, respect, and peaceful coexistence. We will not be deterred from this path by provocations.”

Local church leaders were equally vocal in rejecting the use of Christian terminology to overshadow a Muslim greeting. Protestant City Dean Angela Heidler emphasised, “We will not be dictated to on what constitutes the Christian faith,” while Nikita Nikischin, representing Freiburg’s Jewish community, warned that such attacks threaten “the very basis of our existence as a diverse society.”

The Ramadan lights were initially a grassroots initiative, proposed by students from the 8er-Rat youth council, aimed at celebrating the city’s cultural diversity. Yet the sabotage has left many residents feeling vulnerable. Senay Awad, from the Social Service of Muslim Women, described the incident as “particularly frightening” for the community, noting that for many women with refugee backgrounds, “great fears are surfacing once again.”

Freiburg’s Staatsschutz, the police division responsible for politically motivated crimes—is reviewing social media footage to identify the perpetrators.

While the Identitarian Movement has claimed responsibility for the banner, investigators are still seeking to confirm whether the same group cut the cables on Saturday night. Despite the attacks, city officials and religious leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to the display, which they see as a vital symbol of inclusion in Freiburg.