Germany bans far-right, pro-Nazi group, police raid homes

The Wolfbrigade 44 group’s goal is to re-establish a Nazi dictatorship, according to security officials.

Coronavirus Skeptics And Right-Wing Extremists Protest In Berlin — A police officer stands in front of coronavirus sceptics and right-wing activists as they protest against coronavirus-related restrictions and government policy on August 29, 2020 in Berlin, Germany [Omer Messinger/Getty Images]

Police raided homes in three German states early on Tuesday after the German government banned a far-right group, a spokesman for the interior ministry said.

The homes of 13 members of the far-right group, Wolfbrigade 44, were searched in Hesse, Mecklenburg West-Pomerania and North Rhine-Westphalia to confiscate the group’s funds and far-right propaganda material, German news agency dpa reported.

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“Whoever fights against the basic values of our free society will get to feel the resolute reaction of our government,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said, according to his spokesman, Steve Alter.

The group’s goal is to re-establish a Nazi dictatorship, according to security officials. The 44 in their name stands for the fourth letter in the alphabet, DD, and is an abbreviation for Division Dirlewanger. Oskar Dirlewanger was a known Nazi war criminal and commander of a Nazi SS special unit.

The far-right group was founded in 2016. It is known for possessing illegal weapons and members have participated in far-right protests.

Earlier this year, the German government banned other far-right groups including the Combat 18 and the Nordadler, dpa reported.

Source: AP