Saxony police enforce ban on extremist 'Reich Citizens' festival
Supporters of right-wing groups protest against the policies of the German government. Michael Bahlo/dpa
September 16, 2023
A major police operation in eastern Germany enforced a ban on a Reichsbürger festival on Saturday, a gathering of a group that does not recognize the legitimacy of the German state. The Reich Citizens extremist group is accused of seeking to build up its own armed forces to overthrow the state. Police in the state of Saxony have been restricting access to the site of the event that was due to run for three days in Bärwalde Castle. "Our forces are checking all persons travelling to Bärwalde," the police said. They checked 250 vehicles by Saturday and turned back 153 people who wanted to go to t...