Dangerous Extremism Creeping into Schoolyard Huddles
Youthful Indoctrination in the Playroom: Experimentation with Extreme Ideologies - Early Childhood Indoctrination into Extremist Beliefs
In the digital age, young teens are falling prey to extremist ideologies spread through social media, messaging apps, and video platforms. The domestic intelligence agency has detected an upward trend in such cases in the recent years, as Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) announced at the release of the 2024 Rhineland-Palatinate domestic intelligence report.
These impressionable youngsters, sometimes extremely young, become conduits of extremist dogma themselves through online radicalization—a phenomenon Elmar May, head of the domestic intelligence division in the Ministry of Interior, referred to as radicalization in the "playroom."
Which extremists pose the biggest threat?
The most significant danger to the liberal democratic order in Rhineland-Palatinate stems from right-wing extremism and Islamism. The right-wing extremist populace in the state has slightly grown and currently hovers around 800 people, comprising 160 violent individuals.
Where are the highest concentrations of right-wing extremist activity?
Areas of the Palatinate and Westerwald register relatively high levels of right-wing extremist presence. Compared to other federal states, Rhineland-Palatinate is not a right-wing hotbed according to the security authorities.
How many crimes are linked with the right-wing scene?
The total count of politically motivated crimes increased by 26% compared to the previous year, reaching 2,532 cases, as per the head of the domestic intelligence division. This marked a record high since 2001.
Right-wing motivated offenses accounted for the largest portion of the total, with 1,471 cases (a new record since 2001), and counting.
The AfD and Networks
At the release of the domestic intelligence report, Ebling emphasized that the AfD is not just any other party. Among the 2024 local election candidates, there were individuals previously associated with other right-wing extremist groups, such as the Young Alternative, the Identitarian Movement, and the Revolt Rhineland. The AfD is strengthening ties with the New Right.
Why does Islamism pose a grave danger?
The emotional turmoil surrounding the Gaza war has sustained the heightened tension in the scene, according to security experts' findings. Online or as participants in pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Islamists have vociferously expressed their displeasure with the situation in the Gaza Strip. Jihadist terrorism is back in the spotlight.
Apart from posing an abstract danger, terrorist acts and preliminary stages in the federal territory in 2024 highlight how close the danger still is, Ebling stressed. Ebling underscored this point in relation to the case of a teenager from the Mainz-Bingen district who was suspected of planning a serious state-threatening crime.
How many individuals does the domestic intelligence agency keep tabs on?
Approximately 690 people (2023: around 700) are associated with Islamism in Rhineland-Palatinate, of which around 65 are violent. Mainz, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, and the northern region of Koblenz/Neuwied serve as geographical focal points.
Has left-wing extremism lost its bite?
Key actions fields of the roughly 490 left-extremists in Rhineland-Palatinate remained antifascism and Palestine solidarity in the previous year. The mobilization capacity and violence orientation of the group remain low in comparison to the national average. Around 120 people were continuously evaluated as violence-oriented. Ebling assured that the Ministry of Interior keeps a close eye on the scene.
The Reich Citizens Scene
The Reich Citizens and Self-Governing Scene possess the largest personnel potential, as per the report. This number climbed to 1,100 individuals in the reporting year (compared to 1,050 in the previous year). The spectrum, under surveillance by the Constitutional Protection Authorities since November 2016, is diverse and primarily consists of unaffiliated individuals.
Ebling explained, "This group demonstrates a high degree of aggression and a pronounced weapon affinity." The constitutional protection authorities' primary goal remains to facilitate the consistent disarmament of the scene.
Foreign Threats
Foreign states primarily use hybrid strategies that incorporate espionage, sabotage, proliferation, and cyberattacks. The dissemination of disinformation is also included. Currently, attacks originating from Russia are prevalent. Potential targets in Rhineland-Palatinate include military installations, critical infrastructures, and economic enterprises.
What demands does the Police Union Impose?
As the danger to the democratic order persists, security agencies must possess the capability to effectively thwart these threats, warns Aline Raber, chairperson of the Police Union (GdP) in Rhineland-Palatinate. For this, more personnel, clear legal authorities, and superior technical equipment are necessary.
- The community policy must address the growing concern of extremist ideologies, particularly right-wing extremism and Islamism, among young teens, as these groups pose a significant threat to the liberal democratic order in Rhineland-Palatinate.
- In light of the increasing number of politically motivated crimes, the general-news and crime-and-justice sectors should focus on reporting not only terrorist acts but also the preliminary stages of state-threatening crimes, as these activities indicate that the danger from extremist groups is still very close.
