Arson attack on Hamburg newspaper that printed Charlie Hebdo cartoons

A German newspaper in the northern port city of Hamburg that reprinted cartoons from the French satirical paper Charlie Hebdo was the target of an arson attack early Sunday, police said. The regional tabloid daily, the Hamburger Morgenpost, had splashed three Charlie Hebdo cartoons on its front page after the massacre at the Paris publication, running the headline “This much freedom must be possible!” No one was hurt in the attack, which police said occurred at about 0120 GMT. Two people were detained, while state security has opened an investigation, police said.

Rocks and then a burning object were thrown through the window. Two rooms on lower floors were damaged but the fire was put out quickly.

Police spokesman

Whether there was a connection between the Charlie Hebdo cartoons and the attack was the “key question”, the police spokesman said, adding that it was “too soon” to know for certain. Police declined to provide further information about the suspects. No one at the Hamburger Morgenpost, known locally as the Mopo and which has a circulation of around 91,000, could immediately be reached for comment. German news agency quoted a police spokeswoman as saying that the editorial team should be able to continue work in the building as the damage was relatively minor.

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