exclusive
In the attacks on politicians in Dresden, there are apparently more traces of the right-wing extremist scene than previously known. This is what research by NDR, WDR and SZ. The group “Elblandrevolte” plays an important role.
It is a residential area full of single-family homes, a private street in an upscale residential area in Dresden’s Laubegast district, just a few dozen meters away from the Elbe, where the police arrived this Sunday to search a house. Investigators are looking for the suspected perpetrators of an attack that has been affecting the public since last weekend.
Federal and state interior ministers have been alarmed since Green election workers and SPD MEP Matthias Ecke were attacked and the latter subsequently had to be operated on in hospital.
Four suspects in focus
Since then, the focus of the investigative authorities has been four young suspects and one big question. Were the attacks a case of violent excesses by drunken young people – or were they organized, political attacks by right-wing extremist activists? Or a mixture of both: violent excesses by radicalized, drunken young people?
According to information from NDR, WDR and Süddeutscher Zeitung (SZ) seem to lead more traces into the right-wing extremist scene than previously known. Research in Dresden and Heidenau, where the suspected young people live, leads into the world of boys who are barely of age, some from wealthy backgrounds. And to a right-wing extremist group that has been targeting young people in particular since February of this year. Its name: “Elbeland Revolt”.
Fight for democracy in Bautzen
“Elblandrevolte” – that is the name of what at first glance appears to be a small right-wing extremist group that is now moving into the public eye due to the weekend’s actions. Not only did some of the alleged perpetrators who are the focus of the investigators follow the right-wing extremist group on social media, at least one of them is also said to have recently been noticed in connection with the group’s political protests and demonstrations of power in Bautzen.
A kind of battle for democracy is currently being waged in Bautzen since democratic alliances there have been trying to take the city back to defend the martial demeanor of right-wing extremist activist groups. The “Elblandrevolte” called for “a strong signal for our German youth”.
On the return journey there are said to have been physical altercations on a train in connection with participants in the event. Since then, the public prosecutor’s office has also been investigating this case.
Inquiries remain unanswered
The State Criminal Police Office, which has so far assumed there were four suspects aged 17 and 18 in the case of the attack on the SPD man Ecke, is currently investigating whether there could be other people involved beyond the four suspects who were involved in the attacks on the weekend could be related – and whether other suspects had contact with the right-wing extremist scene.
How exactly the attacks took place is currently still part of the investigation. Until then, the presumption of innocence applies to everyone involved. By the time of going to press, neither the suspect nor their families responded to offers of conversation or press inquiries.
Extremely fast Radicalization
The security authorities and political observers in Dresden are concerned about the extremely rapid radicalization within the “Elbe Revolution”. The group, which is actually only a small group, only recently drew public attention to itself for the first time, at the beginning of February 2024.
In the run-up to the political mobilization for demonstrations on February 13th, the anniversary of the bombing of Dresden, the group emerged from the environment of the so-called “Young Nationalists” (JN) in Dresden – a youth organization that was also associated with the “Heimat”, formerly NPD, is connected.
In Dresden it is led by just a handful of activists, who have apparently been trying, sometimes successfully, to win over young people with hiking trips and a martial demeanor. According to security authorities, the number of members of the “Elblandrevolte” is only in the low double-digit range.
Very young demo participants
At the same time, observers in Dresden have recently increasingly reported the participation of very young people in right-wing extremist demonstrations. For example, at a right-wing extremist demonstration around May 1st, it was noticeable that even 14 and 15-year-olds were marching behind right-wing extremist banners.
“This appearance, particularly by young men around 17 years old, and sometimes even younger, is noticeable relatively quickly,” says Andrea Hübler, managing director of the RAA victim advice center, an advice center for those affected by right-wing extremist violence, among others. “For some time now we have been observing the appearance and offers of classic neo-Nazi organizations here in Dresden, which are particularly promoting themselves among young men and young people.”