Right-wing motivated and racist violence in Saxony 2020

The extent of right-wing extremist and racist violence is still high in Saxony, according to the RAA victim counseling service. For the past year, the association listed 208 attacks with 304 victims on Tuesday in Dresden. In the previous year there were 226 cases with 276 victims. “2020 was shaped by the corona pandemic, which had an impact on right-wing, racist and antisemitic violence in many ways,” said RAA representatives, also mentioning resentment towards people from Asia and demonstrations of the “lateral thinking” movement.

«The conspiracy narratives spread by the so-called lateral thinkers go hand in hand with antisemitic attitudes and enemy images. They see themselves in the resistance against “dark forces”, which serves to justify violence and has a high potential for radicalization, “said RAA consultant Andrea Hübler.

According to the RAA, most of the attacks involved assault (139 cases) as well as coercion and threats (47). But five arson attacks were also carried out, including an arson attack on a shisha bar and a kebab restaurant – just two days after the racist attack in Hanau on February 19, 2020. The majority of the attacks were racially motivated (107); 39 attacks were directed against political opponents.

Sometimes even children are targeted. On June 9, 2020, three men pushed a three-year-old child in a playground so hard that it was easily injured, it said. The mother had previously been racially insulted.

The cities of Dresden (52), Leipzig (66) and Chemnitz (16) were named as regional focal points . The district of Leipzig (18) has been a focus of right-wing violence in Saxony for years. According to its own information, the RAA recorded a total of 263 consultations for 2020; 373 people were looked after – victims, relatives, acquaintances and witnesses of crimes.

The Saxon politicians name right-wing extremism as the biggest problem in politically motivated crime, but this is not always reflected in the perception and assessment of certain acts by the authorities, said Hübler and called for a debate on this topic. It really has to be taken seriously.

Rights and racist violence continue to threaten cohesion in our society, “said Minister of Social Affairs Petra Köpping (SPD), commenting on the figures. A significant dark field is still assumed, which could have intensified precisely because of the measures to combat the pandemic. «Especially in such a challenging time as the current one, it is important that we stick together as a society. The supporting work of many associations and initiatives was severely affected by the pandemic. “