Beuth: "Spiral of violence" between right-wing and left-wing extremists
Hesse's Interior Minister Peter Beuth warns of a spiral of violence between right-wing and left-wing extremists. "In view of the increasing polarization in parts of society, there is a danger that conflicts between right-wing and left-wing extremists will continue to heat up," said the CDU politician in Wiesbaden. This could lead to increasing radicalization in both camps.
The traditional autumn meeting of the Hessian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution (LfV) on Thursday evening (7.30 p.m.) will focus on the battle between right-wing and left-wing enemies of the constitution and its consequences for liberal democracy. The Vice President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Sinan Selen, and the Permanent Representative of the Federal Prosecutor General at the Federal Court of Justice, Lars Otte, are expected to take part in a panel discussion.
In 2022 alone, 70 acts of violence motivated by right-wing extremism were committed against actual or alleged left-wing extremists across Germany, explained Beuth. On the other hand, 229 left-wing extremist violent crimes against actual or alleged right-wing extremists were registered.
In Hesse, the LfV had recently recorded a growing potential of violence-oriented right-wing and left-wing extremists. In 2022, 880 people were counted among the group of violent right-wing extremists, compared to 840 people in 2019. In the left-wing political spectrum, the LfV registered around 600 violent extremists in 2022, compared to 520 in 2019.
Beuth added that a total of 124 extremists had been disarmed in Hesse between 2019 and the end of 2022. During this period, 65 extremists known to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution had their permits for 760 firearms revoked by the authorities. A further 56 extremists had to surrender their small firearms license, a permit to carry alarm, irritant or signal weapons.
According to Beuth, three other extremists had already been denied a permit during the application process. In the first half of 2023, a further 24 extremists in Hesse had their weapons permits revoked, including seven people with weapons possession cards for a total of 32 live firearms.
The escalating conflicts between right-wing and left-wing extremists could potentially lead to an increase in extremist crime, utilizing weapons as tools of violence. The authorities in Hesse have recently disarmed over 120 extremists, highlighting the concern over the availability of weapons in the hands of these groups.
Source: www.dpa.com
