Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on August 25, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 22, 2026
Add as preferred source on Google
German arms manufacturers, including Rheinmetall, face property attack risks from protests, warns a federal agency. Anti-military sentiment is rising due to conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza.
BERLIN (Reuters) -German arms manufacturers face risks of property attacks from mounting protests, federal criminal investigators warned in a document seen by Reuters on Monday, ahead of an action targeting Rheinmetall this week.
In a memo by the Federal Criminal Police Office, the agency said "Rheinmetall entwaffnen" or "Disarm Rheinmetall" protest could lead to property-related offences, as seen at similar events in previous years.
Protesters plan to protest at Rheinmetall's site in Cologne from Tuesday through Sunday, calling for a rejection of the "war regime".
In an emailed statement to Reuters, a Rheinmetall spokesperson said the company was in touch with security authorities and had taken appropriate precautions, without giving details.
Protest organisers said details of protest activities were available online. "Of course we also welcome creative and diverse forms of anti-militaristic protest," a spokesperson for the group told Reuters.
While it had no concrete evidence of planned criminal activity, Germany's criminal police office said defence companies, as well as their suppliers and partners, "are increasingly becoming the focus of politically motivated crime", particularly stemming from the left.
The memo said wars in Ukraine and Gaza were whipping up anti-military sentiment while rising German investment in the armed forces was fuelling backlash against the defence industry.
Alongside Rheinmetall, a key supplier of weapons to Ukraine and its European allies, the memo also mentioned Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, which operates a site in Ulm, southwest Germany, as a potential target.
The document said Palestine Action, which has been banned in Britain under anti-terrorism legislation, was one of the groups regularly organising protests in Germany, without giving further details.
(Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Rachel More; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
German arms manufacturers are warned about risks of property attacks due to mounting protests, according to a memo from the Federal Criminal Police Office.
The protest mentioned is the 'Rheinmetall entwaffnen' or 'Disarm Rheinmetall' protest, planned to take place at Rheinmetall's site in Cologne.
Rheinmetall has stated they are in contact with security authorities and have taken appropriate precautions in light of the planned protests.
The memo indicates that wars in Ukraine and Gaza, along with increased German investment in armed forces, are fueling backlash against the defence industry.
Alongside Rheinmetall, the memo also mentions Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, which operates a site in Ulm, southwest Germany.
Explore more articles in the Finance category
