Extremism: Scholz recalls acts of violence – call against hatred

In light of the anniversaries of the murder of Kassel district president Walter Lübcke and the NSU nail bomb attack in Cologne-Mülheim, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has appealed to citizens to stand up against hatred and violence. “Anyone who insults, threatens or degrades others will face opposition everywhere. On the Internet, just as much as at the local bar or in the office,” said the SPD politician in the video message “Chancellor compact” distributed online. “Intervening in such situations is not always easy. But this is the only way we can combat the hatred that poisons hearts and clouds minds.”

Scholz called the events in Kassel and Cologne “two terrible acts”. “It is important to me to remember them – especially now.” The Chancellor stressed that hostility, attacks and insults are currently increasing – the security authorities recorded more than 60,000 politically motivated crimes in 2023. “This is a new, sad record.” Perpetrators must in any case be held accountable and “punished quickly and noticeably”.

Exactly five years ago, right-wing extremist Stephan E. shot dead the then Kassel district president Walter Lübcke. Today, the CDU politician was to be remembered with a memorial ceremony in Kassel’s St. Martin’s Church. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier wanted to speak as guest of honor.

On June 9, 2004, the two NSU murderers Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt detonated a bomb filled with nails on Keupstrasse in the Cologne district of Mülheim. The explosion injured 22 people, some critically. For a long time afterwards, the police suspected that the perpetrators of the crime were from the Turkish community. No investigations were carried out into right-wing extremism. It was only after Mundlos and Böhnhardt were found dead in 2011 that it became clear that the terrorist group “National Socialist Underground” was responsible for the crime.