It was one of the biggest police raids modern Germany has ever seen. Early Wednesday morning, 3,000 officers, among them members of special units sent by both state and federal police forces, searched 130 properties in 11 of 16 states. They arrested 25 people on suspicion of being members or supporters of a terrorist organisation plotting to overthrow the government. It’s the latest indication that Germany’s political underbelly contains a worrying element of extremists who are ready to act on their conspiracy theories.
The group is allegedly known as the ‘Patriotic Union’ with an inner circle known as the ‘Council’. In total, 52 men and women stand accused of being part of a plan developed since November 2021 that involved storming the German parliament, the Bundestag, and arresting politicians before installing their own regime.
Covid lockdowns, the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis have further fuelled pre-existing fears of state control in those susceptible to conspiracy theories.
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