Thousands of police officers carried out raids across much of Germany today against suspected far-right extremists who allegedly sought to overthrow the government in an armed coup. Officials said 25 people were detained.
it was disclosed by the federal prosecutors that about 3,000 officers conducted searches at 130 sites in 11 of Germany’s 16 states against adherents of the so-called Reich Citizens movement. Some movement members reject Germany’s postwar constitution and have called for bringing down the government.
justice Minister Marco Buschmann described the raids as an “anti-terrorism operation,” adding that the suspects may have planned an armed attack on institutions of the state.
Germany’s top security official said the group was “driven by violent coup fantasies and conspiracy ideologies.”
Report says that the searched locations included the barracks of Germany’s special forces unit KSK in the southwestern town of Calw. The unit received scrutiny in the past over alleged far-right involvement by some soldiers.
Federal prosecutors declined to confirm or deny that the barracks was searched.
