Activists deface Osnabrück monument in protest against Rheinmetall’s plant takeover
Protesters in Osnabrück have taken a bold stand against defence manufacturer Rheinmetall. Under the slogan Rausmetall (Get Rheinmetall Out), activists spray-painted the historic Heger Tor gate, sparking a city-wide debate. The action came as part of wider opposition to Rheinmetall’s plans to move into the struggling Volkswagen plant.
The graffiti appeared on Heger Tor, a 19th-century monument honouring soldiers who fought at Waterloo. The slogan Rausmetall was painted in large letters, damaging the gate’s original inscription. City officials condemned the act, filing a criminal complaint for property damage—a charge carrying up to three years in prison.
The city has repaired the damage, but tensions remain. Rheinmetall’s withdrawal may be temporary, while activists continue pressing for a permanent shift away from arms production. For now, the future of the VW plant—and Osnabrück’s industrial direction—stays unresolved.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
