BERLIN (AP) 鈥 The German government has banned the largest 鈥淩eich citizen鈥 group, an extremist far-right organization that calls itself the 鈥淜ingdom of Germany鈥 and seeks to undermine the country鈥檚 democratic order. Four of its leaders were arrested.
Since early Tuesday morning, hundreds of security forces in several states have been searching the association鈥檚 properties and the homes of leading members.
鈥淭he members of this association have created a 鈥渃ounter-state鈥 in our country and built up economic criminal structures,鈥 Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said, adding that the members of the group underpinned their supposed claim to power with antisemitic conspiracy narratives 鈥 a behavior that the country cannot tolerate.
鈥淲e will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,鈥 Dobrindt added.
The so-called 鈥 鈥 or Reichsb眉rger" movement does not recognize Germany as a state. Many of them claim that the historical German Reich still exists and ignore the country's democratic and constitutional structures such as parliament, laws or courts. They also refuse to pay taxes, social security contributions or fines.
The so-called 鈥淜ingdom of Germany鈥 was proclaimed by its leader Peter Fitzek 鈥 who was among those arrested on Tuesday 鈥 in the eastern town of Wittenberg in 2012 and says it has around 6,000 followers, the interior ministry said in a statement. It claims to be a 鈥渃ounter-state鈥 that seceded from the German federal government.
The group's online platforms will be blocked and its assets will be confiscated to ensure that no further financial resources can be used for extremist purposes.
It's not the first time that Germany acts against the 鈥淩eichsb眉rger鈥 movement.
In 2023, German police officers searched the homes of about 20 people in connection with investigations into the far-right Reich Citizens scene, whose adherents had in the United States.
Last year, the alleged leaders of a suspected far-right plot to topple Germany鈥檚 government went on trial on Tuesday, opening proceedings in a case that shocked the country .
