German authorities have taken action to ban the neo-Nazi group “Hammerskins Deutschland” and have simultaneously carried out raids on the homes of 28 of its members across the country. This move comes after an investigation lasting over a year, conducted in cooperation with U.S. officials.
“Hammerskins Deutschland” is an offshoot of “Hammerskins Nation,” a U.S.-based neo-Nazi organization founded in 1988. The group is known for considering itself the elite of the extreme right-wing skinhead scene and has approximately 130 members in Germany, according to the interior ministry’s news release.
Interior Minister Nancy Faeser stated, “With this ban, we are ending in Germany the inhumane actions of a neo-Nazi group with international reach. With this, we are sending a clear signal against racism and antisemitism.”
This ban comes amid a rise in far-right extremism in Germany and increasing support for the nationalist, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which currently holds a polling percentage of 21-22%. The AfD’s popularity places it in second place behind the centre-right Conservatives (CDU/CSU) and ahead of all the ruling parties in Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s centre-left coalition.
Far-right parties have been gaining ground across Europe, but the AfD’s growth is a particularly sensitive issue in Germany due to the country’s Nazi past.
Interior Minister Faeser highlighted, “Far-right extremism remains the greatest extremist threat for our democracy.” Earlier this year, the country’s domestic spy agency issued an unusual warning against a political party ahead of elections in various states, cautioning voters to consider this before casting their ballot for the AfD.
