Ringleaders of a far-right conspiracy to overthrow the elected German Government, overrun its Parliament and install a half-assed aristocrat as head of state were arrested at their homes across Germany early yesterday…because sedition is apparently against the law there.
Those arrested included Heinrich Reuss, also known as Prince Heinrich XIII (pictured above), a largely de-landed aristocrat whose Golf Club Hunting Lodge was used by the plotters as a meeting place, a former member of the German Parliament currently working as a judge, whose anti-democratic views have engendered calls for her removal from the bench, and a former Army Paratroop Commander who was cashiered for stealing weapons.
In total 25 persons were arrested though the federal police have eyes on as many as 25 more who may also have carried their fever dreams of fascism to the point of actually breaking the law.
Oh, yeah, and at least some of the plotters were influenced by Q-Anon.
Sound familiar?
“Berlin — Police have arrested at least 25 people tied to an alleged right-wing extremist plot to overthrow Germany’s government. The group targeted in about 130 raids across Germany was described by prosecutors as being influenced by QAnon conspiracy theories and espousing a doctrine similar to that of far-right groups in the U.S. and across Europe.
Germany’s Federal Prosecutor General is now investigating the suspected right-wing terror group, which calls itself Reichsbürger, for allegedly planning an attack on the Bundestag, Germany’s parliament, as part of a violent coup to overthrow the government.
The investigators’ trail leads to a member of a former Germany royal family as the purported figurehead, a former parliamentarian from the far-right AfD political party, and of particularly concern to the investigators, to former members of the German military’s special forces.“
If this had happened here in the U.S., Fox News would have already dubbed it a “Nothingbürger” but the plotters would have been allowed to actually have their foot-soldiers in place on the steps of the Capitol and breaking windows before officials thought it time to act… and even then they would have just gone after the small fry.
“While only 25 people were detained, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has accused around 50 men and women of forming a terrorist organization with the intent of eliminating the constitutional order of the Federal Republic of Germany and establishing a new state modeled on the German Reich of 1871.
The group stands accused of planning to storm the Reichstag, or parliament building, as part of a wave of attacks aimed at precipitating civil war-like conditions in Germany. It also allegedly planned to attack the national power grid and to depose the federal government and take power by force.“
Plans to storm the legislature building and a membership comprised of minor politicians and disaffected senior military officers are not the only parallels to the Jan. 6th movement in the U.S.:
“Some suspected members of the group had already made public appearances as agitators at recent protests against Germany’s anti-coronavirus measures. For example, a former military colonel and member of the special forces named by prosecutors as Maximilian E. publicly advocated at one protest to send Germany’s special forces to “clean up the mess” in the national government.“
Just knew the ant-vaxxers had to be involved somehow.
Kudos to the German police and intelligence apparatus for doing what ours would not:
Protecting our Democracy from those who sought to end it before their dreamt of violence and destruction were unleashed.
It’s the difference between a country that followed a cult leader to the mass destruction of its culture & people, versus a fat country full of fat, entitled people who can’t recall a major world war that ended in 1945 and resulted in 400,000 dead American boys. There is NO excuse for amnesia. None. The Germans clearly understand the danger. We, evidently, have to learn the hard way.
Yes and holding those traitors accountable for their TREASON!
It certainly proves the point that there will always be Nazis (whatever they are called.) We did everything wrong in trying to heal from the war. Germany did everything right. But they still have Nazis. I agree that arresting them is an improvement over not arrresting them
Well,it is normal to.start with the small fry, get some to flip, try the middle group,,and flip them and THEN go.After the top tier who are usually rich and powerful.or have protectors (like the entire GOP). This is entirely normal. If you want to.get the top tier, usually Big Names with a lot to.lose, you need to have a foolproof case. It only takes INE at lying to.hang a jury,,and Trumpies,WILL lie during voir dire. Taking down the leaders,of the Oathkeepers,was,a,start and a huge move forward. The committee is gonna recommend more cri.inal.referrals,,and with luck they will get the Michelin Man president. Considering how much weight he has put on in retirement, they may need a bigger cell,preferably in solitary. I cannot decide whether they should deny him.television or not. Which do you think will depress him.more:never hearing his name mentioned on Faux,,OAN or Newscorpse,,or hearing himself denounced by Rs scrambling to.pretend they never liked him.much and how glad they are to see him inprison?
Don’t give him a comb or a mirror. He’s gone inside a week.
It’s also illegal to possess or display Nazi paraphernalia in any form or place. Forming Nazi groups is also illegal. These laws and more were established just after the war.
Due to the vastly different East-German (Russian influenced) Government, Press and Education during the over 50 year Russian occupation, very different , yet German, generations were produced.
Once the wall came down an invisible wall between the 2 different Germanys wasn’t so easy to demolish. Generally poorer, less educated and low & mis-information East-Germans seemingly cause problems, but they are not the only ones.
As with every problem group around the globe, poor education combined with low intellectual curiosity/ critical thinking , the problem at hand isn’t an easy one to solve. But it’s not impossible, so good people continue to do their best to help overcome this current dilemma. Never give up, never lose hope, it’ll take all of us to make a difference.