After more than two years of protest almost every Monday -and smaller rallies throughout the week- after numerous attacks on journalists, insults and hate-speeches held, PEGIDA Munich finally seems to decrease its activities. Struggling from falling numbers – as few as 30 attended this week’s march – with a core of radicals left, the attraction and relevance in society has even further decreased. Once again, a convicted neo nazi terrorist could spread his propaganda via microphone.
Solidarity with raided far-right terror suspects?
On August 28th, 2017 in the early morning hours a highly relevant raid in northern Germany took place. [1] A politician/ lawyer, as well as a police officer were raided by federal special forces as suspects in a case of preparing severe crime endangering the security of the state. The raid took place under paragraph 129 that indicates a terrorist attack was planned. According to media reports the two suspects were preppers, gathered lots of ammunition for their legally owned weapons and were preparing for a collapse of our society as we know it. The reason for their fear of society collapsing are German refugee politics. Supposedly they had prepared a death list with opponents from the political left to be executed. Heinz Meyer, leader of the local PEGIDA branch, was wearing a T-Shirt of gun manufacturer “Glock” on Monday August 28th. 
He declared his solidarity with the raided. Heinz Meyer himself is under investigation under the same paragraph by the federal attorney [2]. Also, a group called “Schiessportgruppe München” was raided just some months ago [3]. Does the leader of the local Munich PEGIDA branch have connections to this raided suspected terror cell, declaring his solidarity?
Local leader of neo Nazi party “Der III. Weg” speaks
Additionally, to the solidarity with terror suspects from northern Germany, also a convicted Neo Nazi terrorist spoke on Monday 28th at PEGIDA Munich. As usual the warmly welcomed members of “Der III. Weg” once again participated in the local march. As quite common in past marches the confessing Neo Nazis showed up with their “Wir sind das Volk” banner. Neo Nazi actions at PEGIDA Munich have been widely documented in the past e.g. as neo-Nazis marched through counter protest close to historically charged date of November 9th past year or earlier in 2015 when the same group of neo Nazis with entourage stormed into Feldherrnhalle.
PEGIDA Munich expands?
After several announcements to stop demonstrating in Munich during past rallies Karl Richter [former co-leader of NPD Germany and member of Munich city council] announced on Facebook that the Munich PEGIDA branch is now expanding. Marches in Regensburg (on September 9th) and in Augsburg (on September 16th) were announced by Karl Richter on his Facebook page.
After the movement seems to fail mobilizing more than the same 30-40 participants in Munich for the so called “walks” through the city center the strategy seems to have changed. With setting up new marches in cities across Bavaria the group seems to hope to reach more citizens with far-right ideas.
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All photos supplied by our team-member Jakob.