Political extremism on rise in Germany: Report
Germany has recorded a comparatively sharp rise in political extremism as far-right and far-left violence keeps surging in the country.
German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere on Tuesday presented the 2015 report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, warning that violent acts by members of political factions are on the rise.
“Extremist groups, whatever their orientation, are gaining ground in Germany,” de Maiziere said, adding that the domestic intelligence agency had “observed not just a rise in membership but also an increase in violence and brutality.”
The report said some 1,408 acts of far-right violence were recorded last year against 990 the previous year.
“The intensity of right-wing extremist militancy started in early 2015 and increased steadily -- from threats against politicians and journalists to arson attacks on asylum seeker shelters and attempted killings,” said the report, adding that there were some 75 arson attacks against refugee shelters in Germany, five times more than in 2014.
The security agency blamed social networks for the surge in violence, saying uninhibited hate speech dehumanizes minorities and fuels real-world violent crime. It said social media “play an important role in agitation and radicalization.”
The report also elaborated on the acts of violence committed by the far-left, saying recorded cases rose sharply from 995 in 2014 to 1,608 in 2015.
The agency claimed extremists had managed to enter Germany with the massive influx of refugees and also warned about the threat posed by those radicals returning from Iraq and Syria.
The German government, like some other European states, has largely failed to prevent its nationals from travelling to the conflict zones in Syria and Iraq over the past few years. That has prompted huge concerns that those people could pose serious security threats when they return.
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