[An Nahar] German officials say they expect more people to be detained in connection with an alleged far-right plan to topple the government that saw 25 people rounded up Wednesday, including a self-styled prince, a retired paratrooper and a judge.The plot was allegedly hatched by people linked to the so-called Reich Citizens movement, which rejects Germany's postwar constitution and the legitimacy of the government.
Georg Meier, the top security official in Thuringia state, told public broadcaster Deutschlandfunk on Thursday that he expects a second wave of people being detained as authorities review evidence.
Meier accused the far-right Alternative for Germany party of fueling conspiracy theories like those that allegedly motivated the plotters detained across the country this week.
Those held include a former Alternative for Germany politician, Birgit Malsack-Winkemann, who is also a Berlin judge. The party condemned the alleged coup plans.
Also detained was Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss, whom prosecutors consider one of the two ringleaders of the plot. The 71-year-old member of the House of Reuss continues to use the title of 'prince' despite Germany abolishing any formal role for royalty more than a century ago.
| What does abolishing the monarchy have to do with hereditary titles? When we lived in the little town of Bad Soden am Taunus in the hills above Frankfurt, there was a Gräfin (countess) who lived around the corner from us in a comfortable house no bigger than our own 150 square meters, and with a similarly small garden. But every morning her personal flag went up the rooftop flagpoles to show she was in residence, and I seem to recall that despite being retired Gräfin was still legally part of her name, just as in Germany getting a doctorate makes that legally part of your name ever after, whether of philosophy, medicine, law, or whatever else doctorates are given for. Why would a prince be any different? Our Gräfin was lovely, and insisted we address her by first name, quite enjoying our traditional American informality. |
But Germany's top security official, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, said it would be wrong to underestimate such groups, especially if their members include people who are trained to use firearms, such as soldiers or coppers.
| Back in the old days in Germany, even Jewish lawyers like my grandfather had guns and were trained in their use. In fact, my grandfather had earnt an Iron Cross in WWI as a gunnery sergeant, and he and his faithful hunting dog took to the woods every autumn, hunting game and poachers with equal enthusiasm. |
Muench said he expected the raids and detentions to continue in the coming days.
Thomas Haldenwang, who heads Germany's domestic intelligence agency BfV, said authorities had been monitoring the group since the spring of this year.
The threat posed by the group had gradually become more concrete as members had obtained weapons, he said.
Germany is highly sensitive to far-right extremism because of its Nazi past and repeated acts of violence carried out by neo-Nazi
...adherents of a philosophy that was seen even at the time as pure evil, which makes them either consciously and purely evil, or attention-seeking ratbags. Pick one, or both....s in recent years, including the killing of a regional politician and the deadly attack on a synagogue in 2019.
Two years ago, far-right gunnies taking part in a protest against the country's pandemic restrictions tried and failed to storm the Bundestag building in Berlin.
| Dawn adds: |
The Reichsbuerger generally believe in the continued existence of the pre-World War I German Reich, or empire, under a monarchy and several groups declared their own states.
The group planning the plot had been under surveillance since the spring, Thomas Haldenwang, Germany's domestic security chief, told the RTL broadcaster.
"This is the first time a nationwide network has been set up with very concrete plans," he added, stressing that there were "plans to overthrow the government, plans to actually implement an overthrow".
There are around 21,000 Reichsbuerger in Germany, he said, around 10 percent of whom are considered likely to use violence.
Related:
Heinrich XIII: 2022-12-08 German police arrest 25 suspects in plot to overthrow state
Heinrich XIII: 2022-12-07 Far-right group 'led by Prince Heinrich XIII' planned to build a new German ARMY after coup: Ex-military members of terrorists foiled by police 'wanted to bring the nation under their rule'
Heinrich XIII: 2022-12-08 German police arrest 25 suspects in plot to overthrow state
Heinrich XIII: 2022-12-07 Far-right group 'led by Prince Heinrich XIII' planned to build a new German ARMY after coup: Ex-military members of terrorists foiled by police 'wanted to bring the nation under their rule'