German authorities uncover plot by “anti-vaxxers” to murder state politician

Police in Germany have foiled a plot by so-called “anti-vaxxers” to kill the premier of the eastern state of Saxony. The state currently has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Germany and some of the highest Covid-19 infection rates. Protest action has been growing in the country in opposition to mandatory vaccination, which becomes law in March for staff working in hospitals, care homes, and other healthcare environments.

German police say they uncovered the plot to murder Saxony politician Michael Kretschmer on the messaging platform Telegram. According to a Reuters report, messages from members of a group known as Dresden Offlinevernetzung (Dresden Offline Network) referred to firearms and crossbows. The group had come to the attention of the authorities following a report by German broadcaster ZDF last week. The investigative report claimed that the group’s members had discussed killing state government officials.

Protests in Germany have become increasingly violent recently, as those opposed to vaccination and Covid-19 restrictions launch attacks on doctors, journalists, and politicians. According to the Reuters report, the German broadcaster ARD says over a dozen government officials, media outlets, and public institutions have been sent letters which included chunks of meat and threatened “bloody resistance”.

A vaccination centre in the state of Saxony was the target of an arson attack in September while last month, protesters rallied outside the home of the state’s interior minister while holding lit torches, a menacing act seen as implying the threat of violence.

SOURCE: Reuters