1: 25 people have been arrested on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the government in a series of raids across 11 german states. two alleged ringleaders have been identified, one of whom is minor aristocrat prince heinrich xiii, 71. the arrested suspects are said to include members of the extremist reichsbürger movement and those from the qanon movement. the group is believed to consist of 50 men and women, with the aim of replacing the republic with a new state modelled on the germany of 1871.
2: the investigation is thought to have started when an unrelated group called united patriots, who were part of the reichsbürger scene, were discovered to be plotting to kidnap health minister karl lauterbach. around three thousand officers took part in 130 raids across much of the country, with two people arrested in austria and italy. the group had been plotting a violent coup since november 2021 and members of its central “rat” (council) had since held regular meetings.
3: the group allegedly intended to rule germany with departments covering health, justice and foreign affairs, and planned to do so by means of violence against state representatives, which included carrying out killings. reports said the suspects had been planning to occupy military bases in order to gain control of weapons, and were in contact with the russian embassy in berlin. violent attacks have been attributed to far-right groups in recent years, and the reichsbürger movement is estimated to have as many as 21,000 followers.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-63885028?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA
