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Called Reichsbürger in Bavaria, this sign on the fence warns against entering the compound.
They were said to have plotted and in some cases trained with weapons: 25 were arrested in what the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office called the Reich Citizens Scene.
Around 3,000 police officers were on duty in eleven federal states on Wednesday morning, a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe told a German press agency. According to the information, people were arrested in the federal states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia. One person was also arrested in Austria and Italy. Searches also took place in Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland.
Accepted dead
Federal prosecutors intend to begin questioning the first person arrested on Wednesday, the spokeswoman said. The terrorist organization had already overthrown the state system in Germany and replaced it with the foundations already in place. She would have accepted death for that.
Of the arrested, 22 are said to be members of the terror outfit, two of whom are the leader. Three others are considered supporters. The spokesperson said there are 27 other suspects. More than 130 items were searched.
A meeting to plan the acquisition
“The association doesn’t have a name yet,” the spokesperson said. According to findings, it is based on conspiracy myths. Members strongly believe that Germany is currently being ruled by members of the so-called “deep state”, it said in a statement. According to this belief, an attack by the technologically superior secret society of the governments, intelligence services and military of various states, including the Russian Federation and the United States, is imminent.
A People’s Committee should be established by the end of November 2021. The central body is a “council”. Like the cabinet of a regular government, it consists of departments such as justice, foreign affairs and health. “Members of the ‘Council’ continue to meet in secret to plan the takeover of power in Germany and the establishment of their own state structures from November 2021,” the federal prosecutor said.
Recruitment efforts in the Bundeswehr and the police
It said a “military unit” must “destroy” the democratic rule of law at the community, district and municipal levels. The association knows that there will be casualties. “However, it at least accepts this scenario as a necessary intermediate step to achieve its targeted ‘systemic change at all levels’.” Some are suspected to be members of the army and have served actively in the Bundeswehr.
After all, they would have wanted to recruit members of the Bundeswehr and the police for the planned overthrow of the state. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office’s investigations also target a soldier from the Bundeswehr’s Special Forces Command (KSK) and several Bundeswehr reservists. The active soldier was inducted into the KSK staff, said a spokesperson of the Army Counter Intelligence Service (MAD).
Justice Minister talks about “anti-terror operation”.
Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann described the raids across Germany as an “anti-terrorist operation”. “Democracy defends itself: a major anti-terrorist operation has been underway since this morning,” the FDP politician wrote on Twitter on Wednesday morning.
The starting point of the investigation is said to be links between members of the now-defunct association and members of the “United Patriots” group, who were arrested in April and allegedly planned to kidnap Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach. (SPD).
The Secret Service expects 21,000 followers
“Reichsbürger” are people who do not recognize the Federal Republic of Germany and its state structures. They claim that the German Reich (1871-1945) continues. They often refuse to pay taxes. Clashes with authorities are common. The Office for the Defense of the Constitution (the Homeland Secret Service) estimates about 21,000 supporters.
According to officials, about five percent of them, about 1,150, are right-wing extremists. In 2021, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution attributed 1,011 terrorist crimes to the “Reichsbürger und Selbstverwalter” scenario. (SDA)
“Wannabe pop culture fanatic. Zombie advocate. Entrepreneur. Internet evangelist. Alcohol fanatic. Typical travel buff.”
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