The German federal prosecutor’s office had 25 people from the so-called Reichsburgerscéne arrested in a raid on Wednesday morning. About 3,000 agents have been deployed in eleven states, says a spokeswoman for the German top prosecutor of the German news agency. She accuses the accused of preparing the overthrow of the state.
22 of those arrested are said to be members of a terrorist organization, two of whom are leaders. Three others are considered supporters. There are also 27 other suspects, the spokeswoman said. “We don’t have a name for this association yet,” she said. It is probably based on conspiracy theories.
Also one arrest each in Austria and Italy
According to the information, people have been arrested in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Hesse, Lower Saxony, Saxony and Thuringia and one person each in Austria and Italy. Searches were also carried out in Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The federal prosecutor’s office wanted to start questioning the first detainee on Wednesday, the spokeswoman said.
Reich citizens are people who do not recognize the Federal Republic of Germany and its state structures. They claim that the German Reich (1871-1945) would continue to exist. They often refuse to pay taxes. Often they are in conflict with authorities. The Bureau for the Protection of the Constitution attributes about 21,000 followers to the scene.
During a raid in 2016, a so-called Reichsburger shot four police officers in the Bavarian Georgensgmünd. One of them succumbed to his injuries in hospital. The special task force wanted to confiscate the fighter’s weapons. (SDA)