In Germany, Far-Right Plotters of an Improbable Coup Go on Trial
New York TimesMay 22
Germany: Second Reichsbürger Coup Plot Trial Begins
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Above: Defendant Heinrich XIII Prince Reuss (C) between his defense lawyers on the first day of the second "Reichsbürger" ("Empire citizens") trial at the Oberlandesgericht Frankfurt courthouse on May 21, 2024 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Image copyright: Boris Roessler-Pool/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
The second of three trials related to the alleged 2022 plot to attack Germany's parliament and take over the government began Tuesday. Nine defendants, including aristocrat and businessman Prince Heinrich XIII Reuss, stand accused.
The defendants, who belong to a right-wing group called German Reichsbürger, also include Heinrich XIII's Russian girlfriend, a former policeman, and a former judge-turned-member of parliament (MP) for the right-wing AfD party.
The Spin
Left narrative
While many in the Reichsbürger movement are not extremists, those at the tip of this conspiratorial iceberg are driven by racism, antisemitism, and a desire to bring Germany back to the past through violent means. Their hatred is most troubling when linked to their anti-government sentiment, which prompted them to arm themselves in preparation for a violent coup d'état.
Right narrative
One of the men the police spied on in connection with the alleged coup plot was the former head of Germany's intelligence agency, Hans-Georg Maassen, who was fired in 2018 after disagreeing with former liberal Chancellor Angela Merkel. What's worse is that police spied on Massen's protected communications with his legal client. The government is using this story to target its political opponents.
