Germany bans neo-Nazi group Hammerskins Deutschland

BERLIN

Germany has banned neo-Nazi group Hammerskins Deutschland, Interior Minister Nancy Faeser announced on Tuesday.

“With this ban, we are putting an end to the inhumane activities of an internationally active neo-Nazi association. In doing so, we are sending a clear signal against racism and antisemitism,” Faeser said in a statement.

In the early hours of the day, hundreds of police officers searched about two dozen properties in 10 federal states, targeting leading figures of the neo-Nazi group, authorities said.

The Hammerskins Deutschland is an offshoot of the American Hammerskins Nation group, and it is believed to have around 130 members in Germany.

According to the German authorities, it is one of the most dangerous, and violence-oriented far-right groups in the country. Some of its members have previous convictions for illegal possession of weapons and violent crimes.