Raids on the Far Right Leave Police Officer Wounded

A German police officer was shot on March 22 in follow-up raids against the Reichsbürger movement that allegedly planned to overthrow the German government. The police conducted prior raids on December 7.

Shots fired: In the recent raid, Markus L. was initially considered to be a witness, but upon entering his apartment, police officers found him pointing a gun at them. In an exchange of fire, one officer was wounded. Markus was apprehended on suspicion of multiple counts of attempted murder and severe physical harm.

The incident occurred amid larger police efforts to crack down on the movement.

• At least 20 properties belonging to five suspects and 14 non-suspects were searched during the raids in eight German states and Switzerland, a spokesman for the supreme prosecuting authority said.
• Five people were suspected of supporting a terrorist organization.
• Spiegel Online noted several members of the German security services were among the suspects and witnesses whose properties were searched, which makes the movement even more dangerous.

Federal prosecutors had 20 properties searched today. The measure is related to the Reichsbürger scene. A policeman was shot. This shows how dangerous the missions are. It is the duty of the authorities to disarm Reichsbürger.
—Marco Buschmann, German justice minister

Reichsbürger, or “citizens of the Reich,” believe the German state has been hijacked by democracy. They claim the true German Reich continues to exist in its pre-World War ii borders. Thus they seek to depose those illegally holding the reins.

A trend to watch: Events are boiling in Germany. The occasional news story of extremist acts is alarming, but the vast majority of people are unaware of what is really happening and what is coming. For a detailed study of recent far-right activities in Germany and what it means for the future, read “Why Does Germany Have So Many Neo-Nazi Conspiracies?”