The German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) has sounded the alarm over the increased level of violence from far-left Antifa militants, saying murders of political opponents are now possible.
According to the German security agency, far-left extremists have become more radical to the point that “the development of terrorist structures in left-wing extremism” is now a real possibility.
The 22-page report, which was obtained by German newspaper Die Welt, adds that “even the step of deliberately killing a political opponent no longer seems completely unthinkable”.
The agency specifically notes several groups within the far-left scene in various German regions which have become more radicalised and have closed off from many in the broader far-left. BfV said the left-extremists are “committed to their own facts, and split off from the rest of the scene due to their increasing willingness to use violence”.
Radicalisation has been seen in several hotbeds of far-left extremism, according to the agency, including Berlin, Hamburg, and Leipzig.
The Antifa militants in Leipzig especially have become more extreme and violent in recent months. They are believed to be responsible for the sabotage of construction sites linked to building projects they have deemed to be gentrification.
The sabotage has cost companies millions of euros and even led to an incident in which Antifa extremists viciously assaulted a female real estate company employee in her own home in November of last year.
The state of Saxony, where Leipzig is located, has set up a special police division named Soko LinX, specifically to deal with the rise of far-left extremist violence.
Berlin has also seen continued Antifa violence, primarily centred around the “Riga 94” apartment complex which has been occupied illegally by far-left extremists for decades.
Most recently, far-left extremists were thought to be responsible for assaulting a German television crew during May Day protests, sending most of them to the hospital.
The BfV’s warning comes just months after German Police Union (DPolG) federal chairman Rainer Wendt made a similar warning. He said: “Left-wing Internet blogs and alternative media sites, in particular, are making no secret of their desire to violently resist the political system.”
Wendt added that far-left extremists could start a group similar to the Red Army Faction (RAF), also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang, a far-left terrorist group which carried out bombings and murders between 1970 and 1998.
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