In an explosion in downtown Oberhausen on Tuesday night, the Left Party office and several shops were severely damaged. The detonation happened at around 3.20 a.m. at Friedensplatz, said a police spokeswoman from Essen. Nobody was injured. Because a politically motivated act cannot be ruled out, state security is also involved in the investigation.
The officials from Essen have taken over the direction of the investigation. Numerous emergency services are currently still on site and securing the building. “It’s still unclear what caused the explosion. We are investigating in all directions,” said the police spokeswoman. It is clear that the explosion took place inside a building. Whether explosives play a role is also still the subject of the investigation. Then explosives experts would also be called in.
In addition to the office of the Left Party at Friedensplatz 8, a hairdresser’s shop and a travel agency were also badly damaged by the explosion. Windows were shattered, some of the interior was destroyed. “The property damage is significant,” said the police spokeswoman.
Former MP Niema Movassat wrote on Twitter of a “neo-Nazi attack”. It’s not the first in the office, but the hardest. “Not an inch to the fascists!” he demanded. Left-wing politicians from other places showed solidarity with those affected in Oberhausen.
“My solidarity with the comrades in Oberhausen! Good thing nobody got hurt. This
