Extremism - Association sees extreme right on the rise
According to counter-initiatives, the far right has clearly gained influence this year. At the same time, the "resilience of civil society" has become weaker, according to an annual report presented by the Federal Association for Mobile Counseling. The umbrella organization stands for 50 mobile teams that support citizens in their commitment against the right. Among other things, it calls for the AfD to be banned.
Association representative Dominik Schumacher noted three trends that right-wing extremism has "moved closer": firstly, the AfD is more successful than ever and its views are increasingly being adopted by democratic parties. Secondly, a "stable, anti-democratic protest milieu" has developed from the coronavirus protests. Thirdly, extreme right-wing actors have bought real estate in many places in both the west and east of the country and thus anchored themselves in the area.
"Protest is more tired than it has been for a long time"
"Right-wing extremists strive to be part of society", said Schumacher. They are involved in a broad spectrum, including allotment garden associations. Local people are opposing this and uncovering structures. However, this "protest is more tired than it has been for a long time". People are burnt out and receive too little support from politicians.
"It also feels terrible," said Dorothea Schneider from the association "Augen auf - Zivilcourage zeigen" in Zittau. "We sometimes ask ourselves in the region, does this center still exist?" Citizens are less and less willing to speak out against the right, partly out of fear of endangering themselves. It seems as if "the situation now is almost more dangerous than back in the so-called baseball bat years".
In favor of an AfD ban
Schneider made a clear plea for the AfD to be banned. She argued that this would primarily deprive the party of state funding for its activities across the country. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution now classifies two AfD state associations - Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt - as confirmed right-wing extremist. The AfD as a whole is considered a suspected right-wing extremist organization.
The umbrella organization called for more support from other parties for people who stand up for democracy. "This also means that they must clearly differentiate themselves from the AfD and find democratic answers to the problems of our time. Otherwise, the extreme right will continue to advance in 2024."
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Source: www.stern.de
