German domestic intelligence service concerned ultra-right groups might form

Given the increasing number of attacks on immigrants in Germany, it cannot be ruled out that ultra-right groups could arise there that would proceed with perpetrating such violence in an organized fashion. Hans-Georg Maassen, head of the Federal Office for Protection of the Constitution (BfV), informed the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (DPA) of those concerns yesterday.
For the time being, however, Maassen says there is no evidence indicating the creation of coordinated extremist groups working country-wide. After the peak of the migration crisis last year, during which 1.1 million refugees arrived in Germany, attacks on the shelters housing asylum-seekers began to increase there.
Perpetrators in some cases have just verbally assaulted the immigrants being housed in such facilities. However, there have also been dozens of cases of shelters graffitied with Nazi swastikas and incidents of arson.
The BfV says the vast majority of these attacks have an ultra-right motive. The civilian counter-intelligence service focuses primarily on following political and religious extremism and told the DPA that for the time being what is happening should not be considered ultra-right terrorism.
"It can, however, happen that new groups of right-wing terrorists or small groups can form that will plan attacks on asylum-seekers or refugee shelters," Maassen said. The intelligence service says it does not yet have any evidence that such a violent ultra-right group is working throughout all of Germany or even all of Europe.
Maassen said such groups arise locally or through online social networking and he considers it dangerous that the perpetrators of these attacks on refugees include persons who previously had no ties to the ultra-right and who politically previously identified with the Social Democratic Party or the post-communist Left party. Many such people, Maassen said, have succumbed to the populist slogans of the extreme right and have radicalized to such a degree that they have committed violence.
Don't miss:
- Europe: Anti-refugee initiatives spreading lies about German justice system after Munich shooting
- German Chancellor still believes her country can handle the impacts of attacks and immigration
- German Police in Lower Saxony raid Islamist radicals
- German Police say Munich shooter was an ultra-right supporter proud of sharing a birthdate with Hitler
- German Police: Aggressor in Munich attack inspired by right-wing extremist Breivik, not Islamism
- An 18-year-old man with dual German-Iranian citizenship has shot nine people dead, injured 21 in Munich
- Germany: Number of refugees arriving has significantly fallen
- Germany: British neo-Nazis tweet photo of themselves giving the Nazi salute at Buchenwald
- Czech Jewish Community says speeches at Terezín commemoration were anti-German, nationalist and xenophobic
- Germany: Trial of right-wing extremist Lutz Bachmann of Pegida begins
Related articles:
- Fascist party in Slovakia seems to be falling apart
- Czech MP publishes collage comparing vaccinations against COVID-19 to the Holocaust and using imagery of the gate at Auschwitz
- Czech churches condemn those wearing yellow Stars of David at anti-vaxxer events, call on them to apologize
- Czech Federation of Jewish Communities: Yellow Star of David at Prague demonstration is textbook abuse and relativization of a Holocaust symbol
- Czech capital sees demonstration in support of Trump and against COVID-19 pandemic suppression measures by the same extremists who march against the Roma
- USA: Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis, QAnon followers and racist supporters of white supremacy attacked Congress to support Trump
- USA: Extremist supporters of Trump attack Capitol building, disrupt joint session of Congress, four dead, media and world leaders call it an attack on democracy
- Scandalous fourth acquittal by Czech court of racist football fans accused of assaulting Black man on tram
- German court sentences terrorist who attacked Halle synagogue last year to life in prison
- Czech ultra-right oppose vaccinations against COVID-19 with antisemitic caricature
- Racists in Czech capital assault non-white family, call the father "Cikán", give the Nazi salute, try to take their baby
- German Government Commissioner on Antisemitism: COVID-19 denial now a pretext for Holocaust revisionism
Tags:
Extremism, Fascism, Germany, Immigration, Neo-NazismHEADLINE NEWS
