Germany prohibits extremist organization Hammerskins affiliated with neo-Nazism

Germany has taken action against the neo-Nazi group Hammerskins by outlawing it, citing the group's role in organizing far-right concerts and selling racist music. The country's interior minister stated that this move sends a strong signal against racism and antisemitism. As part of the crackdown, authorities conducted raids on the residences of 28 prominent members of the group throughout Germany. It is believed that Hammerskins, which was founded in the US in the late 1980s, has approximately 130 members in Germany. The German authorities describe the ban as a significant blow against organized right-wing extremism and an end to the inhumane actions of an internationally active neo-Nazi association. According to German interior minister Nancy Faeser, right-wing extremism remains the most significant extremist threat to their democracy, which is why they continue to act decisively. One of Hammerskins' main objectives was to spread its far-right ideology through concerts, and they were heavily involved in setting up neo-Nazi music labels, selling antisemitic records, and organizing secret music events. The group has been linked to various venues showcasing banned symbols during far-right concerts, such as the Hate Bar in Saarland, where arrests were made in April. German authorities worked closely with their counterparts in the United States prior to the ban. Hammerskins, originally founded in Texas in 1988, has expanded throughout the US and other countries, operating under a top-down structure with the Hammerskin Nation serving as the global umbrella for its national factions. The group has been active in Germany since the early 1990s and is considered one of Europe's most influential far-right organizations. They are divided into 13 regional chapters, resembling the structure of biker gangs, and require prospective members to complete initiation steps through their supporting group Crew 38, which has also been banned. Some members possessed licenses to carry weapons. Hammerskins referred to each other as "brothers" and considered themselves the elite of the right-wing extremist skinhead scene. The German domestic intelligence agency previously revealed that the group organized Germany's largest far-right martial arts event called Fight of the Nibelungs, which has been banned since 2019. Despite the ban, Hammerskins continued to arrange concerts featuring various neo-Nazi bands. This marks the 20th time that a right-wing extremist association has been outlawed in Germany, according to the interior ministry. Hammerskins was the final major right-wing skinhead organization in the country following the outlawing of another group called Blood and Honour in 2000. Blood and Honour had connections to a neo-Nazi group responsible for ten racially motivated murders in Germany. In 2020, Combat 18, another neo-Nazi group involved in far-right concerts, was also banned. The German domestic intelligence agency estimates that there are 38,800 individuals in the country's right-wing extremist scene, with over a third of them considered potentially violent.