Thousands of Berliners lost power for days after an alleged left-wing arson attack on the city's power supply. The activist group Vulkangruppe, or Volcano Group, claimed responsibility for the attack, citing the role that fossil fuels and AI play in accelerating the climate crisis. The attack occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning, when a fire broke out on a cable duct over the Teltow Canal, damaging several high-voltage cables near Berlin's Lichterfelde power plant.
The power outage affected roughly 45,000 homes and more than 2,000 businesses in Berlin's wealthy southwestern districts, leaving nearly 100,000 people without power for several days. The outage is believed to be the longest in Berlin's postwar history, and it came at a particularly challenging time, with heavy snow in the German capital and temperatures plummeting to below freezing.
The attack highlights the increasingly radical tactics being used by some climate activists, who are seeking to draw attention to the urgent need for action on climate change. As the world grapples with the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources, the incident in Berlin serves as a reminder of the complex and often contentious nature of the climate debate.