Sparkasse and GLS quit (e.g.) ABC Dresden and Rote Hilfe: Debanking against left-wing, solidarity-based structures through the long arm of the US government?

dossier

“In November and December 2025, solidarity organizations and individuals had their bank accounts terminated - without justification and sometimes without notice. This practice is called debanking and means exclusion from basic banking services. Initiatives that campaign against war, repression and social exclusion are affected. Donations are blocked, structures are rendered incapable of action, livelihoods are put under pressure. In contrast, a network of those affected and solidarity supporters has been founded. We make debanking visible, network and build political pressure!…”“Stop debanking” message from December 2025 (“Stop debanking”) of the Alliance against Debanking (“Debanking affects solidarity structures”) – see more information about Red Aid, ABC Dresden, consequences and resistance:

• OLG Braunschweig has rejected Sparkasse Göttingen's appeal regarding the Rote Hilfe account (and thus arbitrary account terminations).
  • OLG: Sparkasse Göttingen must continue the Red Aid account“The Braunschweig Higher Regional Court has rejected Sparkasse Göttingen's appeal: The Rote Hilfe e.V. account must be continued for the time being. The court did not see a sufficient factual basis for the suspicions cited. For Rote Hilfe e.V., this is an important signal against debanking and against political pressure on civil society structures.(…)
    The Sparkasse had terminated the account on December 9, 2025, relying, among other things, on the association's calls for donations with the intended purposes “unverzagt” and “Budapest”. From this she derived increased audit obligations under the Money Laundering Act, which would have made the account uneconomical for her.
    The court found the suspicion to be unfounded. It lacked a factual basis. The savings bank misrepresented the content of the appeals for donations. The association did not call for “support for Antifa East”, but rather for “support in the Antifa East proceedings” and “against the extradition and support of persecuted Antifa in Hungary”. This corresponds to the statutory purpose of the association, which is to enable accused and defendants to have fair trials. The court also did not see any concealment. Short, concise purposes for around 2,300 incoming payments can be traced in order to be able to assign donations to individual campaigns, and the association has made this allocation openly. The fact that other banks did not open an account for the association after the termination also does not support the suspicion, especially since the reasons for this are not known.
    The court also confirmed the urgency. The association's right to continue the account is largely clear. If the club were referred to the main proceedings, it would first have to change the account and, if successful, change back again. Given the large number of incoming payments and members, this double effort would be so significant that it would actually amount to a denial of legal protection. The interests of the savings bank would have to take a back seat…”Press release from September 17, 2026 
  • Higher Regional Court decides: Sparkasse Göttingen must temporarily maintain the Red Aid account
    "…"The Red Aid was not guilty of anything. The termination of the account has caused great uncertainty among civil society organizations. With its decision, the Braunschweig Higher Regional Court creates legal certainty, even if the procedure is only preliminary. Account terminations by savings banks are not permitted unless there are convincing reasons that violations of the law have been committed. The court thus sets a clear limit on arbitrary account terminations.”…”Press release from September 17, 2026 from lawyer Dr. Jasper Prigge , which supports the Rote Hilfe e. V. represented in the proceedings
  • See the backstory here below
• Debanking: The long shadow of Donald Trump - and how those affected can defend themselves“German banks are increasingly terminating the accounts of left-wing clubs and civil society organizations. We show why – and how those affected can defend themselves. (…)
  Wepublish procedural documents , which suggest: The wave of account terminations probably has something to do with US President Donald Trump. And also with the banking regulator BaFin, which controls German banks. 
  The documents come from theProceedings of the left-wing legal aid association Rote Hilfe against the Sparkasse Göttingen . The Red Aid will be in effect at the beginning of 2026successfully defended against the account termination of the Sparkasse Göttingen – for the time being . In an expedited procedure, the regional court declared the account termination to be unlawful. The main proceedings are still pending.
  We have also spoken to lawyers and affected organizations and are publishing recommendations on how clubs can position themselves well today…”Contribution by Jonas Seufert from September 3, 2026 at FragDenStaat 
• Sparkasse refuses to open an account for the Association of Antifascists (BdA) Treptow 
  “Without a bank connection, the work of the anti-fascist association in Berlin faces problems not only when it comes to laying the Stolperstein (…) In a letter on Friday, the financial institution did not give any reasons for the decision. This means that the BdA district association still does not have its own account details. The club's account with Postbank - a subsidiary of Deutsche Bank - had already been terminated in March. (…) “Our work is significantly hindered by this,” explained the association’s district chairwoman, Ellen Merchant, to the “nd”. "We are the coordination office for stumbling blocks in the district, for this we need an account because otherwise we cannot accept donations from survivors or bereaved families, for example from abroad." (…) In addition to the BdA Treptow, Postbank also had the accounts of the Berlin regional association of the Association of those Persecuted by the Nazi Regime / Association of Antifascists (VVN-BdA) and the Weißensee-Hohenschönhausen district association in February terminated. Ellen Merchant is surprised that the Sparkasse is not opening an account for the BdA Treptow. The financial institution only allowed the VVN-VdA from the west of Berlin to open an account in March. (…) Another debanking case gives her hope: Rote Hilfe was initially successful in court against an account termination by the Sparkasse. The Göttingen regional court decided that the termination was not effective and that the account must be continued until a decision was made in the main proceedings. This is still pending. In the case of Rote Hilfe, the financial institution argued that there was an increased effort required to check transfers as a result of the US classification of “Antifa-East” as a terrorist organization.(…) Ellen Merchant also suspects such a background behind the current debanking cases in Berlin and would like to see political intervention. "If account blocking leads to the laying of stumbling blocks being prevented, then that is also a political issue." The left in the district announced that it would support the BdA in the dispute." Article by Stefan Otto from April 18, 2026 in New Germany online and the success shortly afterwards:
  • Success for BdA Treptow: Account for antifascists in Berlin
    “The Berliner Sparkasse gives in and promises to open an account for the Association of Antifascists in Treptow
    They don't actually need to be here because they've already won their fight. Nevertheless, around 70 anti-fascists gathered for a rally on Alexanderplatz on Friday. The Association of Antifascists (BdA) from Treptow called for the event. The original reason was the Berliner Sparkasse's refusal to open an account for the anti-fascist association. This led to a wave of solidarity-based outrage. On Thursday, the savings bank gave in and assured the account would be opened. The BdA Treptow used the registered meeting to provide information about its work, which can now be continued in the usual manner. (…)
    On Thursday, Berliner Sparkasse enabled BdA Treptow to open an account. According to the association, the financial institution refers in a letter to a comprehensive audit that showed that "all legal and regulatory requirements are met" and "the purpose of the association is compatible with our value-oriented orientation." What led to this change in thinking is unclear. But public and political pressure across party lines may have contributed significantly to this. The whole process does not seem to have been without controversy even within the savings bank…”Article by Robin Maxime Pohl from April 25, 2026 in ND online 
• No protection against politically motivated debanking: The federal government and the EU appear powerless against US sanctions pressure on German banks
  “Despite an EU-wide ban on extraterritorial US sanctions, the federal government sees no possibility of preventing German banks from terminating the accounts of politically unpopular organizations. This refers to the Blocking Ordinance of 1996, which prohibits companies based in the Union from complying with third-country sanctions. In theAnswer to a small question from the left  However, the Federal Ministry of Finance declares itself powerless against the de facto dominance of the US financial system. (…)
  GLS Bank withdrew its notice after public pressure andnow explains to her customers on the left spectrum how they can help the bank minimize risk. The Göttingen regional court prohibited the savings bank from terminating the contract by means of an interim injunction.
  The savings bank lawyer presented the case there , the debanking was done out of fear of being excluded from the international but US-dominated payment system Swift. An increased risk assessment by the customer Rote Hilfe led to increased due diligence obligations under the Money Laundering Act. The savings bank now has to check every single transaction - this effort is too high. The bank is now appealing against the district court’s ruling.
  In response to the Left's question, the Treasury Department emphasizes that US sanctions "only have legal effect within US jurisdiction." However, it also says: "If there are connections between European credit institutions and US jurisdiction, there may be business policy reasons for these companies to observe US sanctions measures." (…)
  TheHowever, “Taz” had reported that BaFin is carrying out more special audits of cooperative banks. According to a lawyer's experience, they pass on the pressure. The phenomenon is described as “over-compliance”, i.e. the overfulfillment of existing regulations. (…)
  When asked whether the EU blocking regulation suffers from a “structural enforcement deficit,” the Left Finance Ministry answered with a curt “no.” The questioning member of the Bundestag sees it differently: The regulation is unsuitable for protecting civil society “from the consequences of arbitrary sanctions,” says Lisa Schubert “nd.” Companies implemented these due to economic concerns. But it is also the pressure from German authorities that is leading to account terminations in this country.”Article by Matthias Monroy from March 11, 2026 in ND online , see also:
• Debanking: Account termination is immensely political
  "When Rote Hilfe's accounts were terminated at the end of last year, there was great horror. (...) Since financial institutions are not obliged to give reasons for account terminations, those affected can often only speculate as to the cause. Taking legal action against a termination is very difficult in this way. In the case of Rote Hilfe, however, the reason is known: the classification of "Antifa Ost" as a "foreign terrorist organization" by the US authorities under Donald Trump. This classification caused the GLS bank to terminate the contract. Rote Hilfe was previously asked by telephone about its donations in connection with the Antifa-Ost proceedings. This was preceded by letters from right-wing actors warning banks about their customers as alleged supporters of “Antifa Ost”. This also served as a reason for termination for Sparkasse Göttingen, as was shown in the expedited proceedings. (…) In protest against the terminations of the GLS Bank, customers founded the “Stop debanking” network. The GLS board, which had come under pressure, declared on Christmas Eve that the GLS Bank's layoffs were not politically motivated. In fact, “debanking” generally refers to the termination of bank accounts of organizations, companies or individuals that are considered by banks to be a risk that does not necessarily have a political background. Due to these constraints, banks are increasingly proactive in minimizing risk. In order to avoid fines, possible reputational damage and even exclusion from the international financial system, banks close accounts on suspicion. The ever-tightening international requirements for combating money laundering and terrorist financing are crucial.Banks depend on the SWIFT payment system and the assessments of the financial services regulator BaFin. These institutions are increasingly influencing who retains access to the financial system and who is excluded from it. Depending on who is classified as a risk and for what reasons, account terminations, including by the GLS Bank, are immensely political. (…) The right to a basic account, which has existed for asylum seekers and homeless people for several years, currently has to be laboriously fought for by people and institutions affected by account termination. Update: Rote Hilfe is allowed to keep its accounts at the GLS Bank, but the legal dispute over its account at Sparkasse Göttingen is moving to the next instance.” Contribution by Britta Rabe from March 13, 2026 to the Fundamental Rights Committee 
• Despite the US sanctions list: Red Aid is allowed to keep an account with GLS Bank - account reduction as a compromise
  “The anti-fascist organization and the Bochum community bank have reached an agreement. Rote Hilfe is allowed to keep federal association accounts.
  The prisoner aid organization Rote Hilfe announced on Tuesday that it had reached an agreement with the GLS Bank. The federal association's ten accounts will therefore be maintained at the GLS, said Federal Executive Board member Hartmut Brückner to the taz. (…)
  Compromise account reduction
  The GLS cooperative bank explained that the reason for the termination was “regulatory requirements”. The suspicion that the termination of the accounts at the GLS Bank was related to the US sanctions list has “not been dispelled,” said Brückner. But it is also true that the workload for banks in organizations monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution has increased in the past - as has been the case with Red Aid for years.
  That is why Red Aid helped to “reduce this testing effort,” as Brückner puts it. This would include greater clarity when specifying intended uses. In addition, the local groups' almost 50 accounts will be eliminated. “This centralization will of course be a change,” says Brückner…”Article by Leila van Rinsum from February 24, 2026 in the taz online (“Despite US sanctions list: Red Aid is allowed to keep an account at GLS Bank”), see also:
  • [On our own behalf] Reorganization of finances – solidarity needs continuity
    “We have reorganized our financial structure. The background is stricter regulatory requirements and experiences with account terminations in recent years. Here we answer the most important questions about support, donations and membership. ..”Report from February 24, 2026 from Rote Hilfe andFAQ 
• Ironically, the subsidiary of the Nazi-infested Deutsche Bank: Postbank is terminating the accounts of the Berlin-based VVN-BdA and three of its associations 
  “Postbank terminates accounts of the Berlin VVN-BdA. Of all things, the subsidiary of the Nazi-infested Deutsche Bank is making the work of the anti-fascists more difficult.
  Postbank has terminated the accounts of the Berlin regional association of the Association of those Persecuted by the Nazi Regime/Association of Antifascists (VVN-BdA) and three of its associations. It is unclear whether this is related to the US sanctions list or Postbank's business policy. “We don’t know the reasons for the dismissals,” said Markus Tervooren, managing director of the Berlin VVN-BdA...”Article by Anja Krüger from February 11, 2026 in the taz online (“Postbank throws out anti-fascists”), see previously
  • “#Debanking now also at @vvnbda.bsky.social: According to the organization's newsletter, their account at #Postbank was terminated at the end of March. "We are the next anti-fascist organization to be affected by debanking. A lawsuit is currently being examined on our part.”Post by Matthias Meisner from February 9th, 2026 on bsky 
• Stop debanking: Decentralized nationwide day of action on January 31, 2026
  While the Rote Hilfe e. V. is preparing for main proceedings against the Sparkasse Göttingen, numerous organizations want to become politically active. For this reason, the Nuremberg – Fürth – Erlangen local group has called for a nationwide day of action: “Feel free to organize events at your location in your local area on January 31st. e.g. with small registered demos in front of banks and town halls to draw attention to the problem of debanking or termination of left-wing anti-fascist accountsand presents this to other groupsMaterial in the form of a flyer available – see more information on“Stop debanking” and now some dates:
  • Eat:Rally 2 p.m. @Marktkirche
  • Freiburg:Rally and demonstration 4 p.m. @Square of the old synagogue
  • Kassel:Info & networking advice 4 p.m. @Phillip Scheidemann Haus
  • Berlin: small gathering 12:00 p.m. @ Pariser Platz
  • Nuremberg:Rally 2 p.m. @Jakobsplatz
    (Source:Stop debanking on bluesky )
• Does it affect one, does it affect all? Challenges and prospects of debanking practices in Europe
  “Shortly after the US government classified “Antifa Ost” as a terrorist organization, several banks, including GLS Bank, Rote Hilfe, DKP and the anarchist Black Cross Dresden, closed their accounts in December 2025. This triggered a wave of incomprehension in left-wing circles, which crystallized in the rapid formation of a network. For several weeks now, the decentralized initiative has been trying to “stop debanking” to explore the scope of action available to GLS members and customers. The goal is twofold: on the one hand, to reverse the politically motivated dismissals and, on the other hand, to set the course so that such dismissals are not so easy to repeat in the future. Debanking is not a new phenomenon, but has a history - and a system: long before the Trump administration's suspected influence here, this practice was used by numerous banks worldwide and affected both organizations and private customers. (…) To this day, sex workers and porn actors are particularly hard hit by debanking. For many banks, this industry is considered “high risk” or damaging to their reputation. (…) As a result of the stricter anti-terror financing rules after 9/11, Muslim activists as well as NGOs and charities were particularly targeted: accounts were terminated without there being any wrongdoing. The categorization as “terror financing” is often difficult for banks to clearly determine and leads to precautionary terminations, some of which are based on racist assumptions.(…) The extent of this development was particularly evident in Great Britain: following the announcement of a FATF review, more than 300 charities lost their accounts at various banks between 2015 and 2017. One of these was the community-oriented Co-operative Bank, which terminated the accounts of, among others, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) and associated organizations. (…) The possible solutions, which in the case of the GLS Bank are also being sought in connection with the cooperative, should not lose sight of the fact that the problem is much larger. The current situation has made it clear to many for the first time how vulnerable the financial infrastructure is, as it is controlled by profit-oriented companies, most of which are based in the financial centers of the USA and Europe. It should also be borne in mind that banks can be exploited not only by authoritarian governments in the USA, but also by European states, especially in the wake of authoritarian or fascist developments. Against this background, discussions about the digital euro should also be conducted in the light of the debanking practices described. Especially in the debate about financial sovereignty, a European discussion about debanking and solidarity at EU level is needed. The current discussion gives a central place to the mobilization of a broad spectrum of left-wing activists. But the debanking of marginalized groups should not be overlooked, such as refugees, migrants or sex workers, who have barely noticeable voices in public discourse. This shows the (political) power of the banks particularly well.They act as a testing ground where it becomes clear how exclusion from banking infrastructure actually takes place – and what others will have to prepare for in the future, because: If it hits one, it hits everyone.” Contribution by Anne Baillot and Alexandra Keiner from January 25, 2026 at etos.media 
• Court obliges Sparkasse Göttingen to continue the Red Aid account 
  “The Göttingen regional court has obliged the savings bank to continue operating the Red Aid account. The termination was unlawful; neither increased audit effort nor reputational concerns justified this step. The ruling sends a clear signal against politically motivated account terminations.
  The Red Help e. V. achieved an important success against so-called debanking in the urgent proceedings before the Göttingen regional court. The court ordered the Sparkasse Göttingen to maintain the account of the left-wing solidarity organization by means of an interim injunction. The court said in its oral reasoning that the termination was unlawful.
  The Sparkasse justified the termination with an alleged increased audit effort as a result of the US government classifying the so-called “Antifa Ost” as a terrorist organization. She also claimed possible damage to her reputation. None of these reasons convinced the court.
  In its oral reasoning, the court made it clear that political decisions or listings of “any third country” do not constitute a sufficient basis for the termination of an account by a German credit institution. The savings bank also did not specifically and comprehensibly explain any increased audit effort. Finally, the court also rejected the alleged reputational risk: possible damage to the image does not constitute a legally viable reason for termination. (…)
  Sparkasse Göttingen had admitted in the proceedings that the reassessment of the business relationship was the decisive factor for the termination. If she continues to insist on the termination, this would have to be clarified in regular main proceedings…”Press release from January 16, 2026 from the Federal Executive Board Rote Hilfe e. v. 
  • it also links therePress release from attorney Jasper Prigge and in it: “…Attorney Dr. Jasper Prigge, who led the proceedings for "Red Aid", sees the decision as having great significance for civil society: "Access to an account is essential for clubs' existence. Arbitrary decisions by the Trump administration may not actually prevent behavior protected by fundamental rights in Germany. This has now been made clear by the regional court's decision.”“
  • Commentary on the legal success of the Red Aid: stage victory against Trump's Anti-Antifa
    “…Nevertheless, it would be wrong to breathe a sigh of relief now. The court decision is nothing more than a small stage victory against Trump's Anti-Antifa. The account terminations by GLS Bank and Sparkasse show how willing German institutions are to respond in advance to political decisions in the USA. This won't be the last time, and Red Aid has permanently lost its accounts at GLS Bank (as of Friday afternoon).
    In the context of the account terminations, there was never a single indication from political leaders that they were against interference from abroad. The suspicion is that a legal assessment here is considered too “complex” and that it would be better not to contradict the US government. However, that is exactly the problem. The US government has a clear program against the left. (…)
    Further attempts to exclude left-wing groups from banking business are possible. It is also to be expected that the large Internet companies will increasingly restrict the reach of the platforms of left-wing projects or delete them entirely. Entry bans for well-known European activists are likely to soon be on the agenda, as are places in deportation detention for critical voices about US politics…”Comment by Sebastian Weiermann from January 16, 2026 in ND online 
• Open letter to GLS Bank against account terminations by left-wing organizations with almost 5 thousand initial signatories, many as members and customers (to be co-signed)
  “In recent weeks and months, the GLS Bank and savings banks have terminated the bank accounts of several civil society organizations - including Rote Hilfe e.V., the German Communist Party and Anarchist Black Cross Dresden.
  4,708 first signatories are now opposing this practice, known as “debanking,” in an open letter to the board of directors of GLS Bank. You write:
  "We as members and customers of GLS Kommunalbank eG would like to support our bank so that it can take a stand and advocate for its customers' active participation in civil society. We are of the opinion that the GLS needs risk management that strikes a balance between warding off risks for the bank as a whole and taking risks in the interest of democracy. We therefore call on you to continue or resume business relationships with the organizations concerned."
  The full letter can be read here:https://debankingstoppen.de/offener-brief . It was approved within 6 days by 130 organizations, 1508 cooperative members,1,440 other customers of the bank and 1,630 other individuals signed. It is still possible – and desirable – to sign the letter using this link:https://cryptpad.fr/form/#/2/form/view/use4BEEkDkqEzMBqLKQt7XoVVUzKq1EACGtRVY3O8nw 
  The cancellations of bank accounts of civil society groups from the political left must be viewed in the context of the current increase in authoritarian tendencies and the general shift to the right - both globally and nationally. They represent a threat to democratic rights and principles. (…) Cooperative banks like the GLS Bank must be encouraged not to bow to authoritarian pressure such as the current one.”Press release from Stopping Debanking from January 7th, 2026 
• Red Help: The trouble with Trump's sanctions continues. GLS Bank should call a general meeting – Instagram deletes Soli account
  “…Rote Hilfe has filed an urgent lawsuit against the savings bank. The account termination on February 9th should be suspended, otherwise the “actual exclusion from cashless payment transactions would cause irreparable damage.” The Göttingen regional court will now hear about this on January 16th. Legally, the case could be groundbreaking: In June 2025, the Frankfurt Higher Regional Court ruled in another case that a credit institution may not terminate an account solely due to US sanctions. The court saw a violation of the ban on boycotts in the German Foreign Trade Ordinance - but this affected a private individual and not an association, as was the case with Rote Hilfe. The continuation of the account was not ordered, but rather the payment of damages.
  Nothing is known about a lawsuit brought by Rote Hilfe against GLS – a cooperative. Protests have also been taking place there since December 23rd, supported by the Free Workers' Union (FAU). A regular general meeting of GLS shareholders is not planned until the summer. However, according to the statutes, an extraordinary meeting can be called at any time - this requires signatures from a tenth of the members, a maximum of 200. This is already being discussed in chat groups. (…)
  In the meantime, US repression also appears to be spreading to social media: Instagram has deleted the account “antifaost complex,” which disseminated information about the proceedings and called for donations. The operators reported back under “bisallefreisind”. On the account there is only talk of “AntifaXxx”..”Article by Matthias Monroy from January 4th, 2026 in ND online 
• Account termination due to Antifa: Banks enforce US policy in Germany
  "GLS Bank and Sparkasse Göttingen are terminating Rote Hilfe's bank accounts without any objective reason. The terminations took place shortly after the US terrorist listing of "Antifa Ost". Other left-wing organizations are also affected by authoritarian crackdowns via SWIFT in the middle of Europe.
  Within a few days, two banks started working with the Rote Hilfe e.V. association. V. ended. First, the Sparkasse Göttingen closed all of the association's accounts, followed shortly afterwards by the GLS Community Bank with the same step. Both institutes - although they have special social mandates - want to close all Red Aid accounts within two months. The savings banks are obliged by law to fulfill a public utility mandate. The GLS Bank is not only a socio-ecologically oriented banking institution, as a cooperative bank it is directly responsible to its members. In this case, it is all the more serious to abruptly end a customer relationship with a cooperative member that has existed for many years. (…) According to Rote Hilfe's assessment, the terminations in close succession are directly related to the decision of the US government under Donald Trump to list the so-called “Antifa Ost” as a foreign terrorist organization. This measure has no equivalent in German law and is based on a single criminal case with extremely questionable evidence.
  The federal government has not accepted the classification and has repeatedly emphasized that the legal construct “Antifa East” does not pose any significant threat. Nevertheless, the US decision actually has a global impact.
  Banks that are connected to people or organizations on US terrorist lists face sanctions up to and including exclusion from the international payment network SWIFT. This infrastructure is considered technically neutral and is subject to EU law, but in practice follows US foreign policy guidelines due to the dominance of the US dollar. This pressure also affects German society. Now it is a German left-wing solidarity organization – and two banks are bowing without any apparent legal necessity. Rote Hilfe is examining legal steps to take action against the dismissals. (…)
  Although there is no legal basis for equating them with terrorist organizations, civil society organizations are not protected from the consequences and find it difficult to defend themselves. A legal vacuum is created in which the political interpretations of a US government can actually affect German civil society. Rote Hilfe points out that this mechanism is not limited to its own case. The termination of the DKP and Anarchist Black Cross accounts by GLS Bank became public last week. Groups in the climate justice movement also had their bank accounts canceled. Hartmut Brückner from the Federal Executive Board of the Red Aid says: "Today it is hitting our association - but who will be targeted tomorrow if this trend continues unchecked? (...) We call on the progressive forces in this country to stand by our side in order to continue to fight for a better society, independent of US interference and against the global right." Press release from Rote Hilfe e.V. from December 23, 2025 
  • Interview: “Times are getting harder”
    In theInterview by Jule Meier from December 23, 2025 in Neues Deutschland online The spokesman for the Roten-Hilfe Berlin local group, Alex Schneider, comments on the account terminations by Sparkasse and GLS Bank as follows:"...Apparently accounts of organizations of the radical left are being terminated one after the other at the GLS Bank. (...) [Question Meier:] How were these terminations justified? [Schneider:] Not at all or with meaningless references to general terms and conditions and a regulatory framework. However, we suspect a connection with the fact that the US government has declared the "Antifa Ost" a terrorist organization and has offered a reward of 10 million US dollars for information relating to its financing. Furthermore The “Antifa Ost” is on a sanctions list. (…) The Rote Hilfe organizes solidarity against state repression. This means that we also support accused anti-fascists. For an adequate defense in such state protection processes, we need money for lawyers, reports and so on. who are brought to justice for acts of civil disobedience; comrades who take to the streets against the genocide in Gaza and are beaten up by the police; feminists who organize against reactionary opponents of abortion or even people who defend themselves against racial profiling and therefore receive baseless complaints from the police. Most of these criminal proceedings end in dismissal.(…) We show solidarity with the people who are being persecuted under this label [Antifa], and the bank fears that it will come under pressure if it continues to cooperate with us. A bank that describes itself as social also decides against this risk. In the case of the DKP, this becomes even clearer: Here, a fundraising campaign for Cuba probably provided the cue for termination. This “debanking” is a massive attack on left-wing structures. (…) Our assets have not been confiscated. We are an association that operates according to law and order and will defend ourselves legally. There are good examples of this: The Berliner Sparkasse tried to close the account of the left-wing “Jewish Voice for a Just Peace in the Middle East,” but failed. The termination of GLS will not take effect until the end of February, until then we can continue to work as before. (…) In order to collect contributions from well over 10,000 members nationwide with a reasonable amount of effort, we, like any similarly sized organization, rely on banks. Having an account is not a privilege for an association, but in fact an essential prerequisite for actually exercising the freedom of association guaranteed by the constitution. (…) Times are getting harder. It's time to take action. “
• Debanking – attack on the solidarity work of the anarchist Black Cross Dresden
  "... In mid-November, the GLS Bank informed the association, which has been associated with us for years and helps to collect donations, that its bank account had been terminated without notice. No reasons were given. The association was only informed that there were regulations that allow the bank to terminate bank accounts for a "good reason." The Anarchist Black Cross Dresden* has been collecting donations for (political) prisoners in Germany, but also in Belarus and Russia for years. Since 2014, we have also been supporting our comrades in Ukraine with financial resources, among other things. It wasn't until mid-October that we organized a fundraising campaign that enabled us to provide humanitarian aid to people in war zones in Ukraine. We worked closely with the above-mentioned association on these activities. (…) The GLS Bank, which describes itself as “Germany’s largest sustainable bank” and lists “mutual help, support and social action” in its principles, is an example of how liberal forces can repeatedly encourage the shift to the right. (…) Above all, we see these developments as a great success for the AfD, the Russian state, Donald Trump's regime and all the other conservative and fascist powers that are trying to further suppress progressive politics and in return establish domination over society. For now, our solidarity work in support of other collectives in various authoritarian regions of the world is paused. Please do not transfer any more money to the account we use, but rather put it aside in cash.If you have the opportunity and would like to donate in cash, please contact us and we will find a way for the money to find its way one way or another. If you are a lawyer or know lawyers, want to help us, are familiar with situations like the one described or are affected by debanking yourself - please contact us by email. The Anarchist Black Cross (ABC) is an organization whose origins date back to the beginning of the 20th century. ABC groups exist worldwide. They support anarchist and anti-fascist prisoners and fight against the prison system.” Press release from ABC-Dresden from December 18, 2025 
  • GLS Bank terminates left-wing structures bank accounts: “We have to collect cash again,” advises abc Dresden
    "TheAnarchist Black Cross Dresden has been supporting political prisoners and activists affected by repression for years - locally and internationally. Donations and functioning accounts are essential for this solidarity work. In mid-November, the association through which these donations were made received money from GLS Bankthe account is terminated without notice . Other banks then refused to open accounts. The case does not stand alone: ​​left-wing organizations and parties such as the DKP have also recently had their accounts confiscated.
    On the left, the GLS Bank, despite its anthroposophical references, was considered a “good” or “ethical” bank by quite a few until recently.
    When asked by Radio Dreyeckland about the recent account terminations, GLS Bank press spokeswoman Galika Ivanov said that from the bank's point of view these were not politically motivated events. The bank takes the public debate very seriously and is also aware of the importance of transparency.
    We talked toNina from abc Dresdenabout “debanking”. The strategy of excluding people or associations from account management. An increasingly effective form of repression against left-wing infrastructure. In order to counteract all of this within the framework of a critical counter-public, abc Dresden will be holding one at this year's CCC congress in HamburgEvent on the topic of “Debanking” give.”Interview from December 22, 2025 on Radio Dreyeckland

Basic information:

• https://debankingstoppen.de/ 
• Initiative of the comrades of GLS Bank“Convene an extraordinary general meeting” 
• Debanking left-wing organizations –FAU overview pad 
• Bank account: termination and debanking – rights and options for action
  “A sudden letter of termination from the bank or the cold refusal to open an account can threaten the existence of private individuals and companies alike. In a highly digitalized society, participation in economic and social life is virtually impossible without cashless payment transactions. The phenomenon of so-called “debanking” is spreading – driven by stricter money laundering laws, political tensions and banks’ risk avoidance strategies. But you are not defenseless. Current case law and legislation provide effective tools to enforce or maintain access to the financial system…”Legal tip from lawyer Wolfgang Benedikt-Jansen from December 19, 2025 at anwalt.de

See also the international dossier:What Trump started in the USA in 2019 is spreading internationally: the (vicarious) persecution of the Antifa movement as a “terrorist organization”

The postSparkasse and GLS quit (e.g.) ABC Dresden and Rote Hilfe: Debanking against left-wing, solidarity-based structures through the long arm of the US government?appeared firstLabourNet Germany.