This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/german-authorities-conduct-raids-against-far-right-group/2016/03/16/715dfad0-eb51-11e5-a9ce-681055c7a05f_story.html

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
German authorities conduct raids against far right group German authorities conduct raids against far-right group
(about 4 hours later)
BERLIN — German authorities are conducting raids across the country after the government banned a right-wing extremist group called Weisse Woelfe Terrorcrew. BERLIN — German authorities conducted raids across the country Wednesday after the government banned a right-wing extremist group called Weisse Woelfe Terrorcrew accused of wanting to establish a Nazi-style dictatorship.
The German interior ministry said in a statement Wednesday the raids and seizures of evidence targeting leaders of the group were taking place in 10 states. The German interior minister said the raids and seizures of evidence in 10 states targeted 16 leaders of the group.
The interior ministry could not immediately be reached for more details. “Today’s ban is directed against an association that tries to carry violent conflicts onto the streets,” Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said, adding that “the ban is a clear and strong signal against far-right extremisms and an important measure against hatred and incitement in Germany.”
In January, German prosecutors charged three men and one woman with forming another far-right group and planning to bomb a refugee shelter. Authorities confiscated weapons, hard drives and propaganda material. It was not clear if any suspects were detained, because the raids were continuing when de Maiziere briefed reporters in Berlin late Wednesday morning.
That group, which went by the name Oldschool Society, discussed how to manufacture explosives and the possibility of attacking Islamic extremists and asylum-seekers in Germany. The minister said the group, with an inner circle of about 25 members, had violently confronted the police and political opponents, and planned attacks on refugee shelters. The ban will also affect possible successor organizations.
In recent months, Germany has seen a sharp rise in attacks on refugee homes and migrants themselves. The government has reacted by banning several far-right groups.
In January, it banned a far-right Internet platform called Altermedia Deutschland that it accused of spreading “racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, homophobic and anti-Islamic content.”
Also in January, German prosecutors charged three men and one woman with forming another far-right group and planning to bomb a refugee shelter.
That group, which went by the name Oldschool Society, discussed how to manufacture explosives and the possibility of attacking Islamic extremists and asylum seekers in Germany.
De Maiziere on Wednesday said the latest ban of Weisse Woelfe (White Wolves) Terrorcrew should be seen as a signal that the government would continue to crack down hard on far-right groups.
“I am saying to the activists in the far-right extremist scene: the state is watching you. We are acting against you. We will do this with resolve and rigor,” de Maiziere said.
___
Frank Jordans contributed reporting from Berlin.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.