German Coup Arrests

Twenty-five people suspected of plotting to overthrow the German government were arrested early yesterday in raids involving thousands of officers across Germany. More than two dozen others are being investigated in relation to the scheme.

Prosecutors claim the group consists of members of the Reichsbürger movement, an association that reportedly views the post-World War 2 government as illegitimate. Members allegedly made plans to storm legislative assemblies and to position its members as ministers of a new state. Among those detained were a former lawmaker, several soldiers, and Heinrich XII—a descendant of a lesser-known royal family who reportedly reached out to Russian ambassadors as part of the plot.

The arrests come amid a surge in antistate activity in Germany, partly in response to pandemic restrictions, including a failed attempt to storm parliament in 2020. Earlier this year, German officials announced they would disarm 1,500 extremists as part of a crackdown on domestic threats.