Berlin shopkeeper attacked after displaying posters against antisemitism for Oct. 7 anniversary

A 67-year-old wheelchair-using shopkeeper in Berlin's Kreuzberg district was repeatedly attacked by groups of youths after displaying posters opposing antisemitism for the October 7 anniversary. The attacks, which began on October 7, involved pepper spray, physical assault, and property damage. Police are investigating an antisemitic motive. The shopkeeper, Hans-Georg Lindenau, estimated the attackers were between 10 and 15 years old and said they asked if he was Jewish. Berlin police transferred the investigation to the State Security Division. No arrests were reported. The article notes a broader wave of antisemitism in Berlin, with 2,268 antisemitic offenses recorded in 2025, a 24.3% increase from the previous year.

A 67-year-old shopkeeper who uses a wheelchair was repeatedly attacked by groups of youths in Berlin's Kreuzberg district after displaying posters opposing antisemitism to mark the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre, Berlin police said on Saturday. The shopkeeper, Hans-Georg Lindenau, called police to his store on Falckensteinstrasse on Friday evening and reported a series of attacks that began on Wednesday, October 7. On Wednesday, a group of about six youths entered the store, verbally abused Lindenau, and sprayed him with pepper spray. On Thursday, a group of up to six youths returned and again sprayed him with pepper spray; when Lindenau cried out for help, the youths fled but returned shortly afterward, spraying him again and beating him. On Friday, eyewitnesses saw a group of up to eight youths arrive on electric scooters, punch and kick the entrance door, and flee. Speaking to Bild, Lindenau estimated the attackers were between 10 and 15 years old and said they had asked him whether he was Jewish. He also said the assailants struck him with a starter pistol during one attack. Berlin police transferred the investigation to the State Security Division, which is examining a possible antisemitic motive. No arrests were reported. The article contextualizes the attacks within a broader wave of antisemitism in Berlin since October 7, 2023, citing police figures of 2,268 antisemitic offenses in 2025, an increase of 24.3% from the previous year and more than six times the 2022 figure. RIAS documented 2,197 incidents in 2025, averaging six per day, and warned that antisemitism remained widespread in 2026, with Jewish residents avoiding certain locations.