The German domestic intelligence agency has circulated vital reports regarding peril of sharp rise in dangerous extremist groups. The interior minister Thomas De Maiziere stated that physical violence is usually realized by both left and right wing groups. In according to report of the interior minister, right-wing extremists tent to assault foreign residents. Members of right-wing groups do not only use physical aggression, they also like to demonstrate verbal aggression against foreign people. De Maiziere spoke of information that violent attacks have increased more in this year than last year. On the other hand, German domestic intelligence agency have scrutinized attacks which were committed by left-wing groups. Members of left-wing groups do not support xenophobia; they sustain assaults against police officers and personal security. The report published by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution shows that the number of members of right- and left-wing groups had remained unchanged compared to 2012, at 9,600 and 27,000 individuals. The agency also achieved information about young people who joined radical religious groups such as Islamist Salafists.
The threat of right-wing extremist groups
In accordance with report of the domestic intelligence agency, there are associations, fellowships, networks and organized political parties in Germany that are promoting right-wing extremist ideas. For instance, extremist groups include the Identitarian movement, Widerstand West (Resistance West), Pro Bewegung (Pro-movement), Der III. Weg (The Third Way), Anti-Antifa (Anti-Antifascist movement), Ring Nationaler Frauen (The Circle of National Women), The National Democratic Party of Germany, The Republicans and Reichsburger. All of them have same strategy to preserve anti-Islam, anti-Semitic and other xenophobic views. In its recently published report for 2015, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution states that there are 22,600 registered members of right-wing extremist groups in Germany and that 8,000 of them are prepared to use violence. After years of decline, there has been a surge in right-wing extremism since 2014.
Reichsburger is recognized as one of the more tremendous groups by the domestic intelligence agency and security officers. Members of Reichsburger movement tend to indicate themselves as citizens of the Reich. Small groups and individuals who maintain the movement of Reichsburger mostly concentrated in the states of Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Bavaria. All of them pursue same policy that it rejects the legality of the Federal Republic of Germany and avoids recognition of government authorities. They always keeps the dreams concerning the establishment of "Second German Empire," the "Free State of Prussia" or the "Principality of Germania."
Members of the Reichsburger movement print passports, driver’s license and produce T-shirts, flags for showing their own declared national territories. They like to be proud of perpetrating criminal offences against the government officials and foreign residents. Individuals who include to the movement of Reichsburger have been carrying out radical policy against court orders and legal issues which are arranged by local authorities. Officials of regional governments, police guards and judges have started to protest activity of the Reichsburger movement and other such extremist associations. The Brandenburg Institute for Local Community Advice has compiled a comprehensive guidebook for administrators seeking help on the issue.
The attacks of left-wing groups
Leftist groups are often seen as something positive in Germany, a nation still dealing with its Nazi past. But radical left-wing militants are stepping up violent attacks on right-wing groups and political parties. It is clear for everybody in Germany, far-right party-Alternative for Germany and other right-wing associations often encounter numerous attacks by left-wing extremists. According to German newspaper "Die Welt," the party's members registered 800 complaints for assault in the past one year. Earlier this year, Gauland's private house in Potsdam was vandalized and offices of Carsten Hütter, the AfD's representative in Saxony's legislature, were broken into and smeared with brown paint. In December last year, supporters of left-extremist groups damaged 69 police officers and 50 official cars, while they were demonstrating against Neo-Nazi rally. Berlin Senate's Department of Internal Affairs has reported necessarily that radical left extremists usually tend to promote verbal and physical aggression against security officers, conservative residents and businessmen. Werner J. Patzelt , political scientist at the Technical University of Dresden told DW “Despite the damage, the German media and society's focus on left-wing violence has been much less than on neo-Nazi attacks on refugee shelters” . The reason, Patzelt said, was because "we have this concept in Germany that being left is basically good, being right is definitely bad, and all means can be used in the fight against the bad. And violence is a legitimate means against the resurgence of fascism, Nazism, racism. Meanwhile, extremist movements which are committed to represent radical left ideology have being operating in Federal Germany for many years. For example, Red Army Fraction is a West German far-left militant group supported by the Stasi. Members of this group perpetrated murders against government officials Because, Red Army Fraction had one purpose that was directed to target representatives of imperialism and the capitalist system during 1970 or 1980 years. From opinion of some political experts, radical left associations are considered as more threat against neither government, nor local residents yet. However, far-left extremists are still approving using physical and verbal aggression in society.
Both political experts and Sociologists anticipate that the sharp rise in right-wing, left-wing and Islamist groups will have entailed many problems in country future.
Written by: Yunus Abdullayev
