Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - The North Rhine-Westphalian Office for the Protection of the Constitution is concerned about extremists who are exploiting the energy crisis and a possible recession for their own purposes. Corona protective measures are currently not playing a major role, extremists could not mobilize with them, said the head of the NRW constitutional protection, Jürgen Kayser, the "Rheinische Post" (Friday). So they looked for new topics that would interest the population.
The organizers of the energy protests are the same protagonists who were active during the pandemic: right-wing extremists as well as "delegitimizers" and enemies of democracy. These networked even more strongly than during the Corona protests, when there were sometimes clear demarcations. "It seems that these boundaries are now blurring," said Kayser. As an example, he cited a pro-Russian demonstration in Cologne that was openly supported by right-wing extremists. Russian propaganda online plays an important role in the development of extremism.
He considers services like Telegram to be a danger to democracy, said Kayser. One is hardly able to pursue the many legal violations such as threats, calls for violence or violations of the gun law if one cannot identify the people. "When we approach Telegram, we usually don't get any information from them," he said. There is a need for stronger regulation and greater enforceability for security authorities.
Looking ahead to the fall, he said a lot will depend on how badly the crisis and government support plays out. If the energy demand should be very high and many people have to fear for their economic existence, the potential for demonstrations is therefore very high. "At the moment, however, we have no indication that there could be widespread violent riots or popular uprisings," said Kayser. He also emphasized: "We don't focus on people who want to peacefully express their displeasure."
