Berlin, Germany: German Neo-Nazis Becoming More Violent
August 11, 2008
In an interview with the German daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, Jörg Ziercke, head of the Federal Crime Office (Bundeskriminalamt), stated that German neo-Nazis seem to have made a tactical shift and are increasingly turning to violence. Ziercke emphasized that the number of violent incidents were still high and went on to say that neo-Nazis had been especially aggressive in clashes in Hamburg on May 1st.
“The neo-Nazis black block is attacking left-wingers and police officers with an aggression that can be seen as a change in strategy. Beforehand, neo-Nazis largely avoided violence for tactical reasons, but this no longer appears to be the case." Ziercke added that the number of arson attacks involving the right-wing had risen to 15 in the first five months of this year, five times as many as the same period in 2007. This was "a further reason for concern," he concluded.
Sources: ynetnews.com, 08-11-2008; Der Tagesspiegel, 08-11-2008
