Germany’s Fears About The Far-Right Worsen

The German government was already worried about the growing influence of far-right political parties such as AfD and anti-Islam protest movements such as Pegida. Now, they have to worry about acts of terror and violent crime stemming from these ideologies as well. Police are suspecting a far-right motive behind the two bombings that took place in Dresden on Monday. Using improvised explosive devices, a mosque and the city’s International Congress Center were both attacked. The explosions come just one week before Dresden was to host Day of German Unity celebrations to commemorate the 26th anniversary of German reunification. Dresden authorities hoped that hosting the festivities – which Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Joachim Gauck are expected to attend – would raise a sense of “unity” for new communities and help the city’s reputation after Dresden grabbed headlines for its large-scale anti-refugee protests. No one was injured during the attacks, but police stepped up security for government venues and Dresden’s three mosques.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the only example of potential far-right violence in the headlines this week. Police in Houston, Texas are saying Nathan DeSai, the alleged shooter who injured nine people on Monday, was wearing military clothes and Nazi emblems during the attack. In addition to the xenophobic garb, he was carrying nearly 2,600 rounds of ammunition.