Free Saxony: Who is behind the right-wing anti-Corona party?

Corona protests
Right-wing extremist, radical, ready to use violence: who is behind the “Free Saxons”?

With torches, whistles and drums, around 30 people marched in front of the house of the Saxon SPD health minister Petra Köpping in Grimma on Friday evening. In protest against the Corona measures, they shouted “Peace, freedom, no dictatorship”, as in one Video shared on Twitter can be heard.

Apparently these are supporters of the “lateral thinking” movement and the right-wing anti-Corona party “Free Saxony”. This is also supported by the lettering of the same name, which is displayed above the said video – and which was distributed by the official account of the party itself. A spokesman for the LKA Saxony confirmed to the star the ongoing investigations into possible criminal offenses. The “Free Saxons” have been observed by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution since June – but who is actually behind it?

A case for the protection of the constitution

The party was founded at the end of February this year out of criticism against the Saxon corona policy in the Ore Mountains. According to their own statement, they condemn “Free Saxony” the measures of the state government and demand a “policy of reason” regardless of the incidence value.

To the party executive belong loud MDR well-known Saxon right-wing extremists from the Chemnitz area and the Erzgebirgskreis, such as Martin Kohlmann and Robert Andres. Both are also members of the right-wing extremist citizens’ movement “Pro Chemnitz”, while Stefan Hartung is a long-standing and politically active member of the NPD. Also on the board: Thomas Kaden from Plauen – a bus operator who chauffeurs “lateral thinking” fans across Germany to demonstrations. In the mayor election in Plauen, he came fifth out of seven applicants for the “Free Saxons”.

Just a few months after it was founded, the splinter party is already a case for the Saxon constitution protection. This had classified the “Free Saxons” in June as right-wing extremist and anti-constitutional endeavors, like the MDR reported. The reason: The activities of the micro-party are “objectively capable of eliminating or impairing the free democratic basic order or some of its central essential elements”. In short, the party is not concerned with objective criticism of the state, but rather with despising it.

The “Free Saxons” are now an integral part of the right-wing extremist scene in the Free State of Saxony, explained at the time, President of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Dirk-Martin Christian. They were mainly noticed because they mobilized nationwide to participate in corona protests in Saxony and were partially supported by right-wing extremists outside the country.

Party mobilizes with hatred and agitation

It is precisely these connections that are currently of great concern to the Thuringian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution. “Between this grouping [“Freie Sachsen”] and the Thuringian Corona protest movement, there is a verifiable exchange that can be tied to digitally shared content, “said the latter on Tuesday. Accordingly, the” Free Saxons “distributed a video of the protests in the Thuringian city of Greiz last Saturday under the title “Citizens block the Ramelow thugs!”. According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Thuringian police are expecting “similar actions” to those in front of Köpping’s house. Such incidents could “have a signal effect at any time and encourage imitators,” it said.

For weeks, the “Free Saxons” have been mobilized for corona protests in the Free State, especially via the Telegram channel. The channel is attracting more and more members; more than 90,000 users are now registered. To MDR research there is also deliberately hounded against the Saxon Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer (CDU). He had condemned the torch lift in Grimma as “crossing the border” and demanded criminal prosecution for the protesters. “Arrest Kretschmer immediately! Reintroduce the death penalty in Germany!” Wrote a user in the chat.

Concerns about escalating protests are growing

In Saxony itself the incidents about the right-wing party are increasing. It was not until Monday afternoon that the police broke up a gathering of around 40 people in front of the state parliament, as a spokesman said MDR announced. The meeting was not approved, the personal details of the participants were recorded and administrative offense proceedings were initiated, it said. Before that, the “Free Saxons” had to so-called in the social media “Monday Protests” called.

The Saxon state parliament had a special session during the day and declared the epidemic emergency for the Free State. With this, the state government of Prime Minister Kretschmer wants to protect itself legally in order to continue corona protective measures and expand them if necessary. But it is precisely these restrictions and the prospect of a possible vaccination requirement that both interior ministers and constitutional protection officials are very concerned. They warn of a further escalation of the protests. “We have to take note that the protest is increasingly charged with hatred and violence,” affirmed Saxony’s Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) in the RTL interview.

Meanwhile, the “Free Saxons” celebrate the blossoming corona demos. “All of Central Germany is on fire !! The vaccination protests have spread across the board from Saxony to Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Pomme !!”, tweeted the party on Tuesday.

Sources: MDR, RTL, with DPA material