Germany Bans Extremist Group Hammerskins

Facts

• Germany has banned Hammerskins Germany — an offshoot of a US-based right-wing extremist group — and raided homes of dozens of its members across 10 states, the country's interior ministry announced on Tuesday.¹
• Alleging that the group spreads racial doctrine based on Nazi ideology, Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the ban would end its 'inhumane activities' and send a 'clear signal against racism and anti-Semitism.'²
• Hammerskins Nation, founded in the US in 1988, reportedly has about 130 members in Germany, who Faeser claimed were using concerts and merchandise to spread their far-right ideology extremism. The German ban followed cooperation for over a year with US authorities.³
• According to Germany's interior ministry, Hammerskins Germany's members saw themselves as the 'elite of the right-wing extremist skinhead scene' and sought to consolidate their worldview by radicalizing non-members.⁴
• This reportedly marks Germany's 20th ban of a right-wing hardline association.⁵

Sources: ¹Euronews, ²Al Jazeera, ³Associated Press, ⁴The National and ⁵BBC News.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Hill. With the rise of neo-Nazi ideology — which is increasingly becoming more organized and visible — and the decline of Western liberalism, it's essential for Germany to pay attention. Right-wing extremism is a threat to democracies as they look to radicalize non-members through their international network. Its the duty of lawmakers to protect people from growing threats to minorities and democratic values more generally, which is why groups like Hammerskins must be banned.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Sydney Morning Herald. While Germany's move is wholly understandable, there's also a risk that bringing international attention to fringe bad actors could give extremists the oxygen they crave. There must be a renewed focus on educating populations about the consequences of extremism and polarization in general. Using the power of the state alone to squash extremist groups has consequences across the political spectrum if that power is misused. It's imperative to do deep work at the civil society level and not just rely on state systems of law enforcement and surveillance.