Germany bans far-right ‘Kingdom of Germany' group
Berlin, Germany – German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has banned the far-right group 'Königreich Deutschland' (Kingdom of Germany), a faction within the so-called 'Reichsbürger' (Reich Citizens) movement, accusing it of trying to establish a 'counter-state' within Germany.
The ban came as police on Tuesday conducted raids on the properties of key members of the group in seven German states, making four arrests, including that of Peter Fitzek, the self-declared monarch of the 'Kingdom'.
Security authorities believe Fitzek to have founded the group in 2012.
What did Dobrindt say of the ban?
Justifying the ban on the group, Dobrindt said: 'The members of this association have created a 'counter-state' in our country and built up criminal economic structures.'
'In this way, they undermine the rule of law and the Federal Republic's monopoly on the legitimate use of force,' he added. 'At the same time, they use antisemitic conspiracy narratives to back up their supposed claim to authority.'
The ban also includes associated splinter groups.
'Kingdom of Germany' group
According to Dobrindt, the 'Kingdom of Germany' group, which reportedly has around 6,000 members, is the biggest association within the Reichsbürger scene, whose supporters deny the legitimacy of Germany's post-World War II Federal Republic.
This attitude leads some members to refuse demands made by legal authorities, such as fines and taxes. They have also been known to print their own passports and driver's licenses.
Security authorities in Germany have paid increased attention to the movement in recent years amid fears of its violent potential.
Most notably, a plot to overthrow the German government was uncovered in late 2022. Its planners are said to have intended to raid the German parliament and arrest key politicians before installing an interim government.
Some 27 people were charged in connection with the plot, and 380 firearms were found. Three major trials on terrorism and conspiracy charges began in late April 2024.
The Tuesday raids took place in Baden-Württemberg, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
DW
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Muscat Daily
15 hours ago
- Muscat Daily
Austria mourns in aftermath of school shooting
Graz, Austria – Austrian police found a non-functional homemade bomb and a farewell letter at the home of a 21-year-old gunman who killed 10 people in a mass shooting at a high school in Graz before taking his own life, authorities said on Wednesday. About a dozen people were injured in the attack, some seriously. The suspect, armed with a shotgun and pistol, opened fire on Tuesday at Dreierschützengasse high school. He was a former student of the same school although he did not complete his studies, authorities said. Investigators look for motive A minute of silence was observed at 10am local time on Wednesday for one of Austria's deadliest attacks post-World War II. According to Franz Ruf, the public security director at Austria's Interior Ministry, the shooter's letter bid farewell to his parents. 'But no motive can be inferred from the farewell letter,' Ruf said, adding that investigations are ongoing. The police are also looking into whether the victims were targeted or chosen at random. Austria is observing three days of national mourning with vigils being held in Graz, where locals lit candles and laid flowers in the city's main square in honour of the victims. Many lined up to donate blood for the survivors. What are Austria's gun laws? Meanwhile, the shooter's use of legally owned firearms has sparked renewed debate over Austria's gun laws. Austria has nearly 30 civilian firearms per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey research project. The Alpine country has banned automatic weapons and pump action guns, while revolvers, pistols and semi-automatic weapons are allowed with a permit. Rifles and shotguns are permitted with a firearms license, a valid hunting licence or for members of shooting clubs. DW
Observer
4 days ago
- Observer
Activist aid ship nears Gaza after reaching Egypt
CAIRO: An aid ship with 12 activists on board, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, has reached the Egyptian coast and is nearing the besieged Palestinian territory, organisers said on Saturday. The Madleen, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left Sicily last week with a cargo of relief supplies "to break Israel's blockade on Gaza". "We are now sailing off the Egyptian coast," German human rights activist Yasemin Acar said. "We are all good," she added. In a statement from London on Saturday, the International Committee for Breaking the Siege of Gaza — a member organisation of the flotilla coalition — said the ship had entered Egyptian waters. The group said it remains in contact with international legal and human rights bodies to ensure the safety of those on board, warning that any interception would constitute "a blatant violation of international humanitarian law". European parliament member Rima Hassan, who is on board the vessel, urged governments to "guarantee safe passage for the Freedom Flotilla." The Palestinian territory was under Israeli naval blockade even before the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas that sparked the Gaza war and Israel has enforced its blockade with military action in the past. A 2010 commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar aid flotilla trying to breach the blockade, left 10 civilians dead. In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported coming under drone attack while en route for Gaza, prompting Cyprus and Malta to send rescue vessels in response to its distress call. There were no reports of any casualties. Earlier in its voyage, the Madleen changed course near the Greek island of Crete after receiving a distress signal from a sinking migrant boat. Activists rescued four Sudanese migrants who had jumped into the sea to avoid being returned to Libya. The four were later transferred to an EU Frontex vessel. Launched in 2010, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition is a coalition of groups opposed to the blockade on humanitarian aid for Gaza that Israel imposed on March 2 and has only partially eased since. Israel has faced mounting international condemnation over the resulting humanitarian crisis in the territory, where the United Nations has warned the entire population of more than two million is at risk of famine. — AFP
Observer
5 days ago
- Observer
Trump-Musk showdown threatens US space plans
WASHINGTON: SpaceX's rockets ferry US astronauts to the International Space Station. Its Starlink satellite constellation blankets the globe with broadband, and the company is embedded in some of the Pentagon's most sensitive projects, including tracking hypersonic missiles. So when President Donald Trump threatened to cancel Elon Musk's federal contracts, space watchers snapped to attention. Musk, the world's richest person, shot back that he would mothball Dragon — the capsule NASA relies on for crew flights — before retracting the threat a few hours later. For now, experts say mutual dependence should keep a full-blown rupture at bay, but the episode exposes just how disruptive any break could be. Founded in 2002, SpaceX leapfrogged legacy contractors to become the world's dominant launch provider. Driven by Musk's ambition to make humanity multi-planetary, it is now NASA's sole means of sending astronauts to the ISS — a symbol of post-Cold War cooperation and a testbed for deeper space missions. The company has completed 10 regular crew rotations to the orbiting lab and is contracted for four more, under a deal worth nearly $5 billion. — AFP
