GERMANY VOWS TO ‘DEFEND ITSELF’ AS POLICE RAID ANTI-VAXXERS

Wed 15 December 2021:

Saxony police said on Wednesday morning that searches are being conducted as part of an investigation into alleged plans to assassinate Saxony Minister President Michael Kretschmer, which were discussed in a group chat on Telegram.

“A probe is currently underway in Dresden, headed by the Saxony Criminal Police Department and with the participation of special forces. Searches are underway in other cities too,” the state’s police said on Twitter.

According to the police, the investigation was opened after plans to assassinate Kretschmer were discussed in a group chat on the popular instant messaging app.

The chat, dated December 7, was initially uncovered by journalists working for the broadcaster ZDF.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who took office last week, said Germany would “not allow a tiny minority of uninhibited extremists to try to impose its will on the whole of society”.

“Germany will use all the means of its democratic rule of law to defend itself against this tiny minority of the hateful attacking the rest of us,” he said.

The security forces earlier launched the operation in the eastern city of Dresden following threats from an anti-vaccine group against state premier Michael Kretschmer.

“Statements from certain members of the group suggested they might have real weapons and crossbows,” police said, without indicating if any arrests had been made.

The former East German states, including Saxony, are particularly fertile territory for the new fringe movement.

Public protests against the restrictions are almost daily and sometimes result in violence.

The president of Germany’s conference of interior ministers, Thomas Strobl, has called for a strong response from the Federal government.

The Telegram messaging app at the centre of the police investigation has itself come under fire from the government.

FILE PHOTO

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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