(NewsReady.com) – After the German military killed millions of Jews and others during World War II, the country tried to make up for its bloody history. In the eight decades since the war ended, the German government has passed anti-Nazi and hate crime laws. Recently, the government began cracking down on neo-Nazis.
On September 27, German authorities carried out raids on the members of a neo-Nazi group called Artgemeinschaft. Authorities described the organization as a white supremacist group that advocates for white-only families and is both antisemitic and racist. The group calls itself a “faith community” that prioritizes white superiority. Authorities believe about 150 people belong to the group.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the press that the members of Artgemeinschaft have tried to indoctrinate kids and young people.
Approximately 700 law enforcement officers carried out the raids of 26 homes across the country. The operation began early in the morning and all of the raids happened simultaneously so that the members of Artgemeinschaft could not warn one another. The government blocked the organization’s social media accounts and website. Authorities took evidence showing the activities the members were involved in, propaganda, and money.
The raids came a week after the government went after a similar group called the Hammerskins. That organization originated in the US but spread to Europe. It’s considered a violent far-right group.
Unlike in the US, where even the most hateful people enjoy the benefits of free speech, Germans are prohibited from promoting or displaying antisemitic views or Nazi ideologies. The raids come less than a year after Germany uncovered a plot by neo-Nazis to topple the government and try to replace the prime minister with a man, Heinrich XIII Prinz Reuss, who claimed he was a prince. Authorities arrested and charged those who were part of that plot.
Faeser is reportedly stepping up enforcement actions against neo-Nazi groups. It’s not clear if she has any more raids planned.
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