Busting the Right-Wing Extremist Brotherhood in South Germany
Infiltration and Disruption of a Radical Right-Wing Faction - Infiltration and search operation against a radical far-right organization
Take a seat, 'cause we're diving deep into the recent takedown of the notorious right-wing extremist group, the "Brothers of Honour - Chapter South Germany." In a series of raids, the State Protection of Baden-Württemberg swooped in, targeting 18 suspects' homes and workplaces, aged from 35 to 53, with no arrests made.
According to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Stuttgart, a spree of seizures took place, ranging from clothing linked to the sinister association, a slew of Nazi memorabilia, an SS dagger, and a shocking collection of so-called right-wing rock CDs. The list doesn't stop there – authorities also nabbed around 50 electronic devices, including about 30 mobile phones, several knives, pepper spray guns, brass knuckles, blackjacks, a crossbow with a scope, an unloaded air rifle, and more.
Taking over the banned
These shadowy figures are accused of maintaining the prohibited right-wing extremist organization "Blood & Honour Division Germany" under the guise of the seemingly innocent "Brothers of Honour" association since at least 2022. If you think they're a small-time operation, think again – the German division of "Blood & Honour" was one of the biggest in Europe, boasting over 200 members. As a transnational network of violent extremists, "Blood & Honour" ensures the global coordination of right-wing extremist music and propaganda, and the connection of the right-wing extremist scene worldwide.
Founded by the late Ian Stuart Donaldson, the lead singer of the right-wing rock band Skrewdriver, "Blood & Honour" bears a chilling resemblance to the motto "Blood and Honour" of the Hitler Youth.
Gigs gone wild
These suspects are said to have pulled off several extreme concerts in the Schwarzwald-Baar district and the Ortenau district. A number of state agencies joined forces to dismantle this operation, including the State Protection and Anti-Terrorism Center of the State Criminal Police Office and the State Protection Center of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Stuttgart, as well as police headquarters in Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Konstanz, Offenburg, and Ravensburg, alongside the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution. Even the special forces of the police headquarters joined the raids in the Karlsruhe, Sigmaringen, and Waldshut districts, as well as in the Ortenau and Schwarzwald-Baar districts.
Zero tolerance for extremists
Baden-Württemberg's Interior Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) expressed his zero-tolerance policy towards extremists, stating, "We're taking firm action against banned associations and their nefarious activities with all the might of the rule of law." Minister of Justice Marion Gentges (CDU) added, "The State Protection Center Baden-Württemberg of the Public Prosecutor's Office in Stuttgart is working diligently."
Cracking down on hate speech
On a related note, teams led by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) targeted the authors of online hate and incitement in the southwest. Over 170 raids took place across all 16 federal states, with the suspected authors accused of disparaging politicians mainly on social media. Interrogations, searches, and identification measures were carried out.
In comparison, the raid against the far-right extremist group "Brothers of Honour – Chapter South Germany" resulted in only minor deployments in the southwest. The BKA has been conducting action days against internet hate crimes for several years.
- In a political landscape marred by recent events, the employment policy of Baden-Württemberg's law enforcement agencies has been under scrutiny, particularly their approach to combating extremism in South Germany.
- meanwhile, general news outlets continue to report on crimes and justice matters, including the ongoing investigation into the online authors of hate speech, whose activities span across all 16 EC countries, further emphasizing the need for robust employment policies in law enforcement agencies to combat such transnational issues.
