One of the Ilham Tohti Initiative’s (ITI) Uyghur awareness billboard trailers was damaged again in Munich. The perpetrator, a Chinese citizen, was immediately apprehended by the police.
According to a statement from Munich Police, the incident occurred on Sunday, 25 May at 17:25 CET. The 50-year-old man, who is not a resident of Germany, used a knife to damage the panels and wheels of the trailer. The trailer displayed slogans related to the persecution of the Uyghur people.
The suspect attempted to flee the scene on foot but was detained shortly after. He was interrogated at a nearby police station and then released. A criminal file has been opened against him, and the case is now under investigation by Criminal Investigation Department 4.
İlham Tohti İnsiyatifi May 30, 2025
The Ilham Tohti Initiative, a non-profit organization, operates three mobile billboard trailers to raise awareness about the Uyghur genocide. One of them is usually stationed near the Chinese Consulate-General in Munich, while the others are rotated through busy pedestrian areas across the city. The trailers carry messages such as “Stop Uyghur Genocide” and “We Remember All Uyghur Victims of Chinese State Terrorism and Massacres in Baren 1990, Gulja 1997, and Urumchi 2009.”
This long-running awareness campaign began in January 2014, when Mr. Enver Can parked a trailer in front of the Chinese Consulate-General in Munich. The action prompted a complaint from Chinese authorities, citing security concerns. Mr. Can was summoned by the Munich Police Chief’s Office. After review, the police concluded that there was no threat to public safety and confirmed that the protest was lawful. The protest received media attention, including coverage by Süddeutsche Zeitung (31 January 2014) and POGROM magazine (Issue No. 4, 2014), and has continued ever since.
Given the Chinese government’s growing use of transnational repression and intimidation against Uyghurs and other groups abroad, Sunday’s incident is unlikely to be the last—whether carried out by an individual or linked to wider state efforts.
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