The Interior Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Tamara Zieschang (CDU), has stated that the extensive online reach available for calls to violence presents a significant danger to domestic security. Speaking to the “Mitteldeutsche Zeitung”, Zieschang pointed out the incredible dissemination potential of pictures and videos that glorifies violence on social media platforms. She noted that she observes radicalization periods becoming progressively shorter across all facets of extremism, specifically mentioning both far-right and Islamist groups.
As a stark warning, she cited a photo circulated by followers of the Islamic State that encourages the use of cars as weapons against people. Zieschang warned that if material like this reaches thousands of individuals, it could potentially motivate someone to imitate the violent act.
In Saxony-Anhalt, Zieschang identified right-wing violence as a growing problem. She explained that these groups are often loosely organized and sometimes coordinate solely through social media, which significantly complicates the work of the police. She also observed that some of these groups draw visual inspiration from the “baseball bat era,” for instance, by wearing high-top sneakers with white laces.
However, she noted a key difference from the years following reunification: such groups no longer receive positive societal acceptance. Consequently, demonstrations protesting against CSD parades are in decline.
