Berlin shop owner pepper-sprayed after posting anti-antisemitism notices
A 67-year-old who put notices against antisemitism in his shop window was attacked with pepper spray by youths on two evenings, police said. State security officers are probing an antisemitic motive.
Symbolic image · Photo: Auge24.eu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0 (cropped and resized)
A 67-year-old shop owner in Berlin's Kreuzberg district was repeatedly insulted and attacked, allegedly for antisemitic reasons, police said on Saturday. Since early October the man had displayed notices against antisemitism in his shop windows referring to the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023. He contacted police on Friday evening.
According to his account, groups of youths entered the shop on Oct. 7 and 8, insulted him and sprayed pepper spray in his face; he was also struck. Witnesses saw up to eight youths on e-scooters kicking and hitting the entrance door, damaging it, police said. The suspects fled each time, and no arrests have been made so far.
The state security division of Berlin's State Criminal Police Office has taken over the investigation on suspicion of dangerous bodily harm, insult and property damage.