Berlin stops safety vests for kids over far-right link claim

BERLIN – Authorities in the German capital say they’re halting distribution of orange safety vests to new schoolchildren after a report linking the company that donated them to far-right groups.

Berlin state’s education department said Tuesday it has asked the domestic intelligence agency to investigate claims in a New York Times report about the donor, a company called Autodoc.

In its report Saturday, the newspaper claims Autodoc advertising appeared on several far-right websites. It also reported that Autodoc’s own site contained hidden pages with inflammatory articles about Muslims and Islam.

The Berlin-based Autodoc says in a statement that it rejects extremist ideas and that it only learned of the dubious content from the Times report.

Berlin authorities say only one class had received the high-visibility vests before distribution stopped.

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New York Times report: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/10/world/europe/sweden-immigration-nationalism.html