In brief
In a significant move against extremism, Germany has banned the far-right group known as the Kingdom of Germany, detaining several of its leaders during coordinated police operations across the nation.
On Tuesday, 800 officers targeted the Kingdom of Germany, a group refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the German state, claiming instead to establish a parallel society complete with its own currency and ID system. Among those arrested was Peter Fitzek, the group's self-styled "king," as authorities conducted searches across seven states.Fitzek, 59, is under investigation for leading a criminal organization and allegedly selling unlawful insurance and investment schemes. The Kingdom of Germany comprises around 1,000 active members and is the largest faction within the so-called Reichsbürger movement. This group espouses various conspiracy theories and seeks to separate from the Federal Republic of Germany.New Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated, “The aim of this association is to establish a so-called parallel state and to secede from the Federal Republic of Germany,” emphasizing the serious threat posed by such extremist movements.
