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Police in Germany have launched an investigation after swastikas were found on about 50 cars, mailboxes and building facades in the central city of Hanau, allegedly painted using human blood.
Authorities were first alerted on Wednesday night when a man noticed the distinctive shape of a swastika in red fluid on the bonnet of his parked vehicle.
A subsequent special test soon confirmed that the substance was human blood. Officials confirmed that a total of about 50 cars were damaged in a similar manner.
“The background is completely unclear,” Leipold said, adding that investigators did not know whether specific cars, mailboxes and buildings were targeted or whether the swastikas were applied randomly. He said there were also several other writings on cars and buildings that he could not identify.
There is no indication who was behind it or where the blood came from, Leipold said. He said officials were not aware of any injuries in connection with the incidents.
At present, the police are investigating the damage to property and use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations.
Display of Nazi Symbols including the swastika are illegal in Germany. The swastika is widely considered a hate symbol that highlights the trauma and horror of the genocide. Nazi GermanyWhite supremacist, neo-Nazi Groups and vandals have continued to use it to spread fear and hatred after the end of World War II.
Hanau made headlines five years ago when a German gunman went on a rampage at a hookah bar in the city, shooting dead nine people of immigrant origin in one of the worst cases of domestic terrorism since World War II.
It is believed the gunman returned home after his rampage and shot himself. Authorities said there was no indication that other suspects were involved in the attack.
Germany’s political landscape has become polarized in recent years, with a wave of immigration and a slowing economy helping to fuel support for extremist groups on both ends of the spectrum.