In the early hours of Wednesday, at least 16 delivery vehicles belonging to Amazon were set ablaze in Berlin. An anonymous manifesto claiming responsibility for the act was posted on Indymedia.org and is being investigated by the police as a politically motivated crime. The letter, signed as “Some Anarchists,” criticizes Amazon as a driving force behind digital capitalism, highlighting problematic working conditions, climate damage, and plans to build an Amazon megatower in Berlin.
The incident occurred around 2:45 am local time, with witnesses reporting seeing hooded individuals in the area where the vans were parked before the fires started. Police confirmed that 16 vehicles were damaged, with most likely rendered unusable. The brigade responsible for political crimes is investigating the incident, speculating that it may be related to May Day events and anti-capitalist protests.
In March, a manifesto signed by a ‘Volcano Group’ claimed responsibility for an attack against Tesla’s gigafactory on the outskirts of Berlin, which temporarily halted production. On the other hand, Amazon reported a profit of $10,431 million in the first quarter of 2024, a significant increase compared to the previous year. The company’s CEO highlighted Artificial Intelligence’s role in boosting Amazon Web Services and reported strong growth in advertising services and overall revenue.
Despite some challenges faced by technology companies like Tesla and others that affect society negatively, Amazon remains optimistic about its growth prospects. The company’s financial performance has been well-received by investors so far; shares rose in electronic trading after news broke of this incident with delivery vehicles being set on fire and financial data from Q1 of 2024 was released.
Overall, this incident with delivery vehicles being set on fire is part of a broader narrative surrounding technology companies and their impact on society. While some may see these actions as extreme or even terrorist-like behavior, others view them as necessary measures to protect workers rights or protest against environmental destruction caused by corporations like Amazon.
It is worth noting that while some activists have turned to arson as a means of protest against corporate power structures such as those represented by Amazon or Tesla