Germany bans far-right ‘Kingdom of Germany’ group

The German government banned the far-right “Kingdom of Germany” group Tuesday and arrested four of its leaders in raids throughout the country.

German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced the ban, calling the group a threat to democratic order whose members refuse to recognize the legitimacy of the German government, follow its laws or pay taxes or fines.

“The members of this association have created a ‘counter-state’ in our country and built up economic criminal structures,” Dobrindt said.

“We will take decisive action against those who attack our free democratic basic order,” he added.

The group is part of the “Reich citizen” movement, which claims the historical German Reich still exists. Dobrindt noted the group’s claim to power is built on antisemitic conspiracies, which he said cannot be tolerated.

“This is not about harmless nostalgia, as the title of the association might suggest, but about criminal structures, criminal networks,” Dobrindt later told reporters.

“That’s why it’s being banned today,” he said.

Approximately 800 police officers participated in the raids Tuesday. German law enforcement arrested four high-ranking members of the group, including its leader, Peter Fitzek.

The Associated Press contributed.