The Office for the Protection of the Constitution warns that a mixed scene of extremists emerged during the pandemic

Protection of the Constitution warns
Mixed scene of extremists emerged in Pandemic

According to the Lower Saxony Office for the Protection of the Constitution, a new scene of extremists is emerging in Germany: right-wing extremists, Reich citizens, corona deniers and conspiracy ideologues have been coming together since the pandemic. The main concern is the large number of weapons that are present there.

The Lower Saxony Office for the Protection of the Constitution has warned of an increasing networking of right-wing enemies of democracy in a “mixed scene of different extremist tendencies”. This included traditional right-wing extremists as well as representatives of the so-called New Right as well as Reich citizens and corona deniers or supporters of conspiracy tales, the authority said on the occasion of the presentation of its report for the protection of the Constitution for the past year.

This scene, which first emerged during the corona pandemic, is now using other political issues such as the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine or the current high energy prices to mobilize. Your bracket is therefore “a fundamental rejection of the democratic system of the Federal Republic of Germany”. Corresponding ideas are mainly disseminated via social networks and “thereby gaining increasing reach”.

“Our democratic order should be put under pressure – a ‘highly explosive mixture’ has emerged,” said Interior Minister Daniela Behrens at the presentation of the report for the protection of the constitution in Hanover. The different scenes strengthened each other. The main enemies are politicians, journalists, scientists and committed citizens.

Radicalization also on the Internet

The Lower Saxony State Office for the Protection of the Constitution summarizes these efforts as a suspected object of “anti-democratic and/or security-endangering delegitimization of the state” and is monitoring developments very closely. “Potential perpetrators of violence are becoming increasingly radicalized under the influence of the Internet, without being connected to one of the traditional right-wing extremist organizations,” explained its boss Dirk Pejril.

Overall, the Lower Saxony authorities continue to classify right-wing extremism as the greatest danger. “Right-wing extremist groups must continue to be prosecuted unwaveringly – there is also a great danger from so-called Reich citizens and self-administrators,” explained Behrens. She also referred to the recent raids on armed coup plans from this milieu. The scene must be “consistently disarmed,” she added.

According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, around 1,600 people belonged to the right-wing extremist area in Lower Saxony last year. 900 people were classified as Reich citizens and self-governors. The left-wing extremist scene in the state consisted of around 1,200 people. Its members therefore tried to instrumentalize parts of the climate protection movement and thereby radicalize it. Behrens therefore warned the climate protection movement to be careful. This must “take a distance to extremist and criminal forces”.

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