Tuesday, December 7th, 2021
Vaccination opponents rush at Telegram
Report uncovers murder plans against Kretschmer
Is the rejection of the political measures in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic reaching a new, harrowing level? According to a report, radicalized vaccination opponents and conspiracy believers in Saxony are said to have formulated murder plans against Prime Minister Kretschmer.
Radicalized vaccination opponents and corona conspirators have apparently shared violent fantasies and concrete murder plans against Saxony’s Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer in the Telegram messenger service. According to research by the ZDF magazine “Frontal”, individual members of the more than 100-person group entitled “Dresden Offline Networking” met several times in public places in order to possibly discuss future procedures.
In the report, citing the chat history, it says that some men have already acquired weapons and ammunition or should already have them in advance. One of the actors is quoted as saying: “I would also go to extremes if I have to.” In addition to content that trivializes or even denies the coronavirus pandemic, anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are also shared.
After a conspiratorial meeting of some group members two weeks ago in a Dresden park, it became unmistakably clear in the Telegram chat, according to ZDF, that murder plans against CDU politician Kretschmer were being discussed. “We already said at the offline meeting that we would saw off the prime minister,” a participant of the nightly meeting is quoted as saying. Other people involved also said: “Invade the guy, pull the guy out of there and hang it up somewhere.” According to the report, a third commented: “You have to make a decision if you are ready for such a sacrifice.”
When the ZDF team wanted to confront the actors with the statements made in the chat at another meeting in front of the camera, they left the venue without comment. The following day, the Telegram channel in question was no longer publicly available. When asked about the events, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Saxony stated that it was observing an “increasing radicalization of the scene”. Telegram is therefore used to share smear campaigns and conspiracy theories. It goes on to say: “The result is insults and threats from politicians, which are chanted in public with drastic formulations.”
“The rule of law must send a clear, swift signal”
The corona situation in Saxony has been extremely tense for weeks. The number of cases is the highest in a nationwide comparison – the vaccination rate at 58.5 percent is the lowest. Many clinics have already reached their capacity limits in view of the large number of Covid 19 patients in the Free State. At the same time, there is growing protest against the measures adopted by the government in the country. On Friday evening, some opponents of the measure marched with torches in front of the private house of the Saxon Minister of Health Petra Köpping.
Politicians and observers have recently expressed concern that participants in such demonstrations will become further radicalized. Saxony’s Interior Minister Roland Wöller said in an interview with “RTL Direkt” on Monday evening: “This is a dramatic situation that has worsened again in recent weeks.” It must be noted that “the protest is increasingly charged with hatred and violence”.
The CDU politician rejected allegations that the state was not doing enough against right-wing extremist structures. Since Michael Kretschmer took over the government, the issue has been taken very seriously: “We are in the process of pushing back these structures step by step.” Wöller had announced “rapid proceedings” and explained in the RTL interview: “The rule of law must send a clear, rapid signal. The proceedings must run faster and lead to convictions.” A number of advances have already been made in Saxony, but: “Here the police, public prosecutors and courts have to work together even more quickly, the punishment has to follow the act, and there is still room for improvement.”