Hundreds of Reich Citizens demonstrate in German city of Karlsruhe
The police spoke of a total of 300 to 350 participants on Karlsruhe's Schlossplatz. Officials had expected around 500 people from all over Germany.
Participants waved numerous Reich flags in the immediate vicinity of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court.
Some 250 counter-demonstrators also gathered on Schlossplatz within sight of the Reich Citizens, police said. The local Antifa, a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement, was also present.
The event had been peaceful so far. According to a police spokesperson, no major incidents were reported.
The Reich Citizens movement, which reportedly has around 6,000 followers across the country, has been accused of seeking to establish a "counter-state" and building "criminal economic structures."
Reich Citizens do not recognize the Federal Republic of Germany and its laws.
"This is not our Germany," a spokesman said on stage. He called for resistance against what he called "the dictatorship in our country."
Reich Citizens is an umbrella term used to describe a diffuse group of German residents.
The movement has no official structure and consists of several groupings.
Many of the group's followers maintain that the German Reich proclaimed in 1871 still exists. They do not recognize modern-day democratic and constitutional structures such as parliament, laws or courts.
They also refuse to pay taxes, social security contributions or fines.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Times
6 minutes ago
- New York Times
U.S. and China Meet as Trade Truce Nears Expiration
Top officials from the Trump administration will meet with their Chinese counterparts in Sweden this week for their third formal round of economic talks since President Trump raised tariffs on Chinese imports to triple-digit levels this year. The primary goal is to extend a fragile trade truce that has prevented a devastating clash between the world's largest economies. The discussions are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday in Stockholm. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative, are leading the U.S. delegation. He Lifeng, the vice premier for economic policy, has been leading the talks on behalf of China. The negotiations come during a pivotal week for the global economy, which has been gripped by uncertainty as a result of Mr. Trump's chaotic trade agenda. The Trump administration has been trying to win concessions from many countries before an Aug. 1 deadline for reimposing tariffs announced in April. Those levies were suspended in order to reach trade deals. Over the last week, the Trump administration has announced deals with some of America's biggest trading partners in quick succession. Last Tuesday, the United States and Japan finally agreed to a deal that included a 15 percent tariff on Japanese imports and a pledge from Japan to invest $550 billion in the United States. On Sunday, Mr. Trump announced that he had also reached a deal with the European Union, a 27-nation bloc whose economies rely on exports to the United States. The deal would put a 15 percent tariff on many European exports, including cars. But one of the biggest unknowns is what will happen with China, which remains one of America's largest source of imports. After a tit-for-tat period of tariffs and retaliation, the two nations have come to something of an uneasy truce after talks in Geneva in May, and in London in June. On Sunday, before he met with European officials, Mr. Trump implied that some kind of trade arrangement with China might be close at hand. 'We just struck a deal with Japan as you know, and we're very close to a deal with China,' he said. This will be the first meeting between the countries without an imminent crisis, like the tariff standoff or China's economically crippling ban on rare earth exports this year. Trade experts said the list of potential topics for discussion was long, ranging from Mr. Trump's push to get China to stop the flow of fentanyl to the United States, to America's concerns about its purchases of Russian and Iranian oil, and recent exit bans that have prevented U.S. citizens from leaving China. U.S. officials appear to be looking forward to more ambitious trade talks in the months to come. Those could include Chinese purchases of American products, steps to open the Chinese market and, potentially, Chinese investment in the United States. They are also likely seeking to lay the groundwork for a potential meeting between Mr. Trump and Xi Jinping, the Chinese leader, this year. Administration officials are considering a trip to Beijing before a meeting of Asian and Pacific countries in South Korea in October, or potentially connecting Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi on the sidelines of an international meeting. Michael Pillsbury, a former government official who has advised the Trump administration on China, said this would be Mr. Trump's sixth summit meeting with Mr. Xi. Each of those summits had a minimum of two hours of dialogue, and Mr. Trump went prepared with specific deal-making requests, he said. 'The president feels it's better to deal face to face,' he said. Trade experts are also wondering whether U.S. technology controls or an agreement to transfer ownership of TikTok may be on the negotiating table. On CNBC on Thursday, Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, said that the United States had submitted a proposal to China for transferring ownership of TikTok to American companies, and that the administration was waiting for the Chinese response. The topic was 'not officially' part of the trade talks, he said, 'but unofficially, of course.' Tensions between the United States and China started to spiral after Mr. Trump announced his 'Liberation Day' tariffs in early April. China was the only country to immediately retaliate, matching Mr. Trump's tariffs of 34 percent with 34 percent tariffs on American products. Beijing also set up a licensing system to restrict exports of seven rare earth elements that are processed almost exclusively in China and used in electric cars, smart bombs and other high-tech devices. Mr. Trump then responded by ratcheting up tariffs on Chinese products to a minimum of 145 percent, which brought much of the trade between the countries to a halt. The previous rounds of negotiations secured a temporary truce that included China's relaxing its restrictions on shipments of valuable rare earth minerals and magnets needed by U.S. manufacturers. In return, U.S. officials agreed to roll back limits on exports of U.S. products and technology, including ethane and airplane parts, as well as the proposed visa restrictions. U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports were scaled back to 30 percent, while China has 10 percent tariffs on American products. The truce is scheduled to expire on Aug. 12, after which tariffs would rise 10 percentage points. However, Mr. Bessent has been optimistic that the truce could be extended. In an interview on the Fox Business Network last week, Mr. Bessent said that 'trade is in a good place' with China. He added that he hoped to begin having broader discussions with his counterparts about rebalancing the Chinese economy and encouraging China to curb purchases of Russian and Iranian oil. Mr. Bessent said China was in a manufacturing slump and faced a residential real estate market crisis. He argued Beijing must focus on building a consumer economy. 'They can't export their economic problems to the rest of the world, they need to solve them,' Mr. Bessent said. U.S. companies continue to have a rash of criticisms about doing business in China, including the country's newly established rare earth licensing system. The processing time for licenses is long, American firms say, and China requests proprietary and sensitive business information as part of the applications. In a survey released this month, members of the U.S.-China Business Council said strained relations and tariffs between the two countries remained their biggest concerns. But they also said Chinese policies favoring domestic companies were eroding confidence in doing business in the country.
New York Times
6 minutes ago
- New York Times
Inside Leeds' Germany training camp: Full-blooded challenges, paintball, and singing
Leeds United are flying home from Germany today after the third of their six weeks spent preparing for the forthcoming Premier League campaign was played out behind closed doors on the continent. Daniel Farke took his squad and staff to Hotel-Residence Klosterpforte in Harsewinkel, North Rhine-Westphalia, just as he did 12 months ago. The sad similarity with 12 months ago was the absence of supporters. Advertisement While Euro 2024 was a convenient excuse for tired and overworked police, unable to marshal incoming Leeds fans a year ago, that same excuse was not available this time. United maintain they were confident fans would be allowed up until mid-June, when the German police informed them their matches would have to be played behind closed doors. This was because segregation at the matches was a concern to the police and, in effect, the need for reserves to be called in from around the country to support the local force was a red line it was not prepared to cross. Leeds tried to convince the police to change its verdict and even looked into changing their own plans, but at the 11th hour, this proved too difficult. With a grovelling apology, United had to ask their fans to stay away from Germany while the team trained. Here, The Athletic takes you behind the scenes of what has played out over the past eight days in Germany. It was a late but necessary check-in for the squad on Saturday, July 19, at their training base. Staff and players flew directly from Sweden to Germany after their opening summer friendly against Manchester United in Stockholm. By the time everyone had woken up for their first full day, they were preparing for an addition. Private flights had been chartered to take Anton Stach from his Hoffenheim base to his family home, and then to Paderborn, the most convenient airport for accessing the club's training camp. The Germany international met the first of his colleagues on Sunday before undergoing his medical and the final stages of his £17.3million transfer on Monday, July 21. Stach was kept out of sight as the invited media descended on Harsewinkel to watch a full-blooded training session. No matter how often you watch these professional athletes, who have had to fight and scrap for every inch to get to where they are in their careers, their competitive edge and desire to conquer every aspect of training never fails to surprise. Advertisement The players started with warm-up exercises led by sports scientist Jack Pullan. After a variety of stretches on mats across the complex's basketball court, they gathered around Farke and his coaching team on the grass. Assistant coach Christopher John was celebrating his birthday. Farke and fitness coach Chris Domogalla led the squad in a round of applause for him, and after that, the footballs were not in play straight away. Domogalla split the squad into quartets and they rotated through a variety of drills involving hurdles, cones and poles. It's all done with the aim of preparing the players' bodies for what's to come in their intensive session ahead. Captain Ethan Ampadu found himself initially grouped with compatriot Joe Rodon, Sam Byram and new boy Sebastiaan Bornauw. Humour is central to trips like these and crucial for building the bonds that will have these footballers running through brick walls for each other over the next 10 months. 'Is this the stiff and fragile group?'Ampadu said to Domogalla. Byram's injury history and status as the squad's oldest outfield player should not be lost on anyone. For Farke, too, his quips throughout the week, and one assumes throughout the whole season, are central to building his own relationship with the players. The 48-year-old is the boss, make no mistake, but he has been around dressing rooms long enough to know how to manage morale. As Rodon followed Byram in their group between poles, Farke wandered over to comment with a wry grin, 'Can you be quicker than Byram?' The 31-year-old, who credited Farke with saving his career after last season's title triumph at Plymouth Argyle, will relish beating his younger peers in training through the campaign. Do not forget, Byram has already been filmed putting everyone but Joel Piroe away in the club's pre-season bleep test this summer. Advertisement Once the team got into their drills with the balls, we had a priceless glimpse of Farke as the coach, the manager on the grass invested in improving everyone under his watch. In one exercise, which had seven players passing from various angles in a diamond shape, he insisted: 'Ten passes, not nine or 10 passes. Ten passes.' It's Bornauw, Harry Gray, Sam Chambers, Rhys Chadwick, Gabriel Gudmundsson, Jaka Bijol and Jack Harrison in the group nearest the watching media. 'Keep the ball on the floor, the ball does not bounce, no hectic, guys,' says Farke. The manager talked about body shape and having the players relax. In one amusing moment, as Chambers went to pass to a colleague, his effort snapped one of the training poles. 'Not only do you try to hurt my players, but my poles, too!' Farke shouted and put a hand on Chambers' shoulder, smiling. The level of competition ramps up as Eddie Riemer, Farke's right-hand man and stand-in at Bramall Lane when the manager was banned from the touchline last season, reorganises the groups into small-sided games with two teams aiming at two mini goals apiece. The team in possession could only score once it successfully completed seven consecutive passes, while the team pressing was encouraged to win the ball back and then score at the earliest opportunity into their designated nets. Rodon has built a reputation at Leeds as someone with their heart on their sleeve, never shy about expressing how he really feels about something. In one amusing moment, as Jayden Bogle put the ball between his legs, Rodon threw his head back and, with an exasperated tone, moaned: 'Oh, f*** off.' This was training, but any time a player made a mistake or felt hard done by a coach's decision, they would be furious. Farke was watching one of the teams that included Rodon, Ampadu and Daniel James. When things began to bubble over, he could be heard saying: 'Three Welsh players in one team is always dangerous.' The German has repeatedly glorified his Welsh players' roots over the past two years. He adores their fight and spirit. There were signs of how Bornauw has settled with his new squad as he wheeled away from one poor miss with a Yorkshire impression of '******* hell, man!' No quarter given in training today. I will always underestimate how much they want to win every minute aspect of training. Look out for Bornauw's improving English impression and Rodon's nutmeg reaction. #lufc — Beren Cross (@BerenCross) July 21, 2025 Largie Ramazani was never too far away from the needle that lurked in every exercise and had the players facing off with one another. In one particular moment, when something had gone against Wilfried Gnonto, it was Ramazani, Ampadu and even Farke, teasing the Italian. As Bornauw limped away with what we came to learn was a thigh injury that will rule him out for a fortnight, Riemer again divided the squad into four teams for a tournament. Illan Meslier, Karl Darlow, Alex Cairns and Rory Mahady marshaled a full-sized goal each as the outfield teams rotated between them, across two small pitches. Advertisement This is where the fight for goals and wins really ramped up. Ramazani was central to the most eye-catching flashpoint. As he grappled with Bogle for the ball, the winger ended up tearing the full-back's bib, pulling half of it off his back. Riemer whistled and, as he stopped play, Ramazani swivelled to boot the ball at the already-floored Bogle. A penalty was awarded, with the squad gathering to watch it. Bogle vs Darlow. Farke: 'No rebounds!' Rodon: 'All day, Karl. All day!' Ilia Gruev, apparently the most placid member of the squad, went to stand by the ball in an effort to put Bogle off. Ampadu marched over to carry the Bulgarian away. At Leeds United training in Germany. The footage speaks for itself. Ramazani had torn Bogle's bib to give away the penalty. 'Shitbag.' #lufc — Beren Cross (@BerenCross) July 21, 2025 Ramazani, being calmed by Gnonto: 'Watch him f*** it now, s***bag.' Bogle tucks it in the corner and Harsewinkel's residents can hear the roar. Ampadu runs up to Ramazani's face: 'You s***bag!' It's impossible not to laugh at how petty this all is and it must be like this year-round. These are the little moments, no doubt forgotten by the players hours later, which forge their connections, their will to fight for each other when it matters. Aside from that tete-a-tete, there was some superb quality on show. Followers of the club's social media will have seen Darlow's full-stretch parry of James' volleyed rocket. Piroe sent Rodon, Ao Tanaka and Gruev sliding out of the way with one chop of the boot before finishing one of his many goals. 😍 SAVE! @KarlDarlow — Leeds United (@LUFC) July 21, 2025 Harrison and Lukas Nmecha were spotted firing shots at Mahady after the session had finished, squeezing in their extras as club security chief Martin Sykes and kit manager Chris Beasley returned on their bicycles, beaming. Several of the official and expensive Premier League footballs had been lost in the woods behind the pitches. Sykes and Beasley were not to be denied. Advertisement Once the media had been sent packing from that session, club footage would later show Stach got involved in an afternoon knock-around. His transfer would be finally announced on the Tuesday morning. Operations manager Matt Robertshaw said he couldn't help but marvel at his height when he saw the midfielder stood with Meslier at one of their meals. The media had their first look at Stach when he arrived with the squad for Tuesday's friendly against SC Verl. His international clearance had not been received in time, so he watched from the stands with Bornauw, Isaac Schmidt (calf), and Brenden Aaronson, who only arrived that morning after prolonged summer service with the USMNT. There was no access for the media on Wednesday, but we learned this was a key day of social bonding for the players. Aside from a players-against-staff paintball match (Farke not included), which the former predictably took very seriously, there was a raft of initiation songs for any employee to have arrived since last year's Germany trip. Among the players, this meant Tanaka, Ramazani, Schmidt, Nmecha, Bijol, Bornauw, Gudmundsson, Sean Longstaff and Stach were on a chair singing what they desired. The song choices have remained a closely guarded secret, but the Swedish left-back is understood to have been the keenest to get up and get on with his. While this was all unfolding, United executives were accelerating their pursuit of goalkeeper Lucas Perri. It was a move that came together far quicker than any of them expected. Hannah Cox, head of football administration, and Adam Underwood, sporting director, had been in Germany at the start of the week to get the Stach deal over the line. They then flew back to the UK, not expecting any further deals during the training camp. They had to fly back to Germany once the Perri talks entered their final stages. A second significant transfer of the week represented an outstanding week for the club, which was entirely worth the air miles. Perri arrived with his family on the Thursday night, had his medical on the Friday, and signed off on the final bits of paperwork before the club got ready for his announcement on Saturday morning. There was a minor administrative delay, but while Perri was taking in the Paderborn friendly, the announcement was set for that evening. Advertisement Perri was in the stands as Leeds faced a far sterner challenge from the 2 Bundesliga outfit. Luis Engelns, Farke's 18-year-old son, began in the heart of the home midfield. There was nothing over the line, but a couple of firm Ampadu challenges on the teenager caught the eye. There was a knowing grin shared between father and son as the latter walked past the away dugout following his second-half substitution. It proved a valuable test for Leeds at the end of their third week of preparation for the new season. Farke will take a lot more from the forthcoming matches against Villarreal and Milan. We will only see the real impact of a week like this next May.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Europe hopes for 'no surprises' as US weighs force withdrawals
After keeping Donald Trump happy with a pledge to up defence spending at NATO's summit, Europe is now bracing for a key decision from the US president on the future of American forces on the continent. Washington is currently conducting a review of its military deployments worldwide -- set to be unveiled in coming months -- and the expectation is it will lead to drawdowns in Europe. That prospect is fraying the nerves of US allies, especially as fears swirl that Russia could look to attack a NATO country within the next few years if the war in Ukraine dies down. However, the alliance is basking in Trump's newfound goodwill following its June summit in The Hague, and his officials are making encouraging noises that Europe will not be left in the lurch. "We've agreed to no surprises and no gaps in the strategic framework of Europe," said Matthew Whitaker, US ambassador to NATO, adding he expected the review to come out in "late summer, early fall". "I have daily conversations with our allies about the process," he said. While successive US governments have mulled scaling back in Europe to focus more on China, Trump has insisted more forcefully than his predecessors that the continent should handle its own defence. "There's every reason to expect a withdrawal from Europe," said Marta Mucznik from the International Crisis Group. "The question is not whether it's going to happen, but how fast." When Trump returned to office in January many felt he was about to blow a hole in the seven-decade-old alliance. But the vibe in NATO circles is now far more upbeat than those desperate days. "There's a sanguine mood, a lot of guesswork, but the early signals are quite positive," one senior European diplomat told AFP, talking as others on condition of anonymity. "Certainly no panic or doom and gloom." - 'Inevitable' - The Pentagon says there are nearly 85,000 US military personnel in Europe -- a number that has fluctuated between 75,000 and 105,000 since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. "I think it is inevitable that they pull out some of their forces," a second European diplomat told AFP. "But I don't expect this to be like a dramatic overhaul. I think it's going to be gradual. I think it's going to be based on consultations." Trump's first target is likely to be the troops left over from a surge ordered by his predecessor Joe Biden after Moscow's tanks rolled into Ukraine. Officials say relocating the rump of that 20,000-strong deployment would not hurt NATO's deterrence too much -- but alarm bells would ring if Trump looked to cut too deep into personnel numbers or close key bases. The issue is not just troop numbers -- the US has capabilities such as air defences, long-range missiles and satellite surveillance that allies would struggle to replace in the short-term. "The kinds of defence investments by Europe that are being made coming out of The Hague summit may only be felt in real capability terms over many years," said Ian Lesser from the German Marshall Fund think tank. "So the question of timing really does matter." - 'Inopportune moment' - Washington's desire to pull back from Europe may be tempered by Trump now taking a tougher line with Russia -- and Moscow's reluctance to bow to his demands to end the Ukraine war. "It seems an inopportune moment to send signals of weakness and reductions in the American security presence in Europe," Lesser said. He also pointed to Trump's struggles during his first term to pull troops out of Germany -- the potential bill for relocating them along with political resistance in Washington scuppering the plan. While European diplomats are feeling more confident than before about the troop review, they admit nothing can be certain with the mercurial US president. Other issues such as Washington's trade negotiations with the EU could rock transatlantic ties in the meantime and upend the good vibes. "It seems positive for now," said a third European diplomat. "But what if we are all wrong and a force decrease will start in 2026. To be honest, there isn't much to go on at this stage." del/ec/jxb/tc
