Compare what would happen in the U.S. versus other countries like France or Germany if someone assaulted a member of a neo-Nazi group. Would a country like Germany be less likely to care about a neo-Nazi’s rights? Is it illegal in Germany to belong to a Nazi organization (as the word on the street would have you believe)? Would the average jury be less likely to sympathize with a member of a fascist group?
Mods- I hope that this question would have a factual answer, or at least links to further reading. If it doesn’t belong in this forum please move as you see fit.
In Germany, people assaulting neo-Nazis definitely don’t get a pass, mainly for the following reasons:
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[li]the groups who violently assault neo-Nazis (as opposed to opposing or blocking their demonstrations by much larger, peaceful counter-demonstrations) typically subscribe to political philosophies that lump capitalism, representative democracy, the rule of law, globalization etc. together with fascism (i.e. everyone to the right of far-left is a fascist or an useful idiot of fascism). For example I, an activist of a moderate socialist party (the SPD), would definitely not feel safe confronted with these sort of people on an ‘anti-fascist’ rampage.[/li][li]Nazi organizations are banned. However, those organizations generally called ‘neo-Nazi’ are not avovedly Nazist - their public stance is not ‘we are Nazis’ but rather ‘we are not Nazis (wink wink)’. They walk a fine line legally, occasionally one organization crosses that line in unguarded statements e.g. of a provably anti-Semitic nature that allow the authorities to ban them and make it stick in court against the inevitable legal challenge against the ban. As long as this does not happen their activities enjoy the constitution’s protections, and they can stage public demonstrations etc. like anyone else. The intelligent among far-right activists stay short of provably Nazist statements, organize their marches in an inflammatory but strictly legal way, and leave it to ‘anti-fascist’ activists to put themselves in the wrong by attacking the police buffer between the ‘not-provably-fascist’ demonstration and their ‘anti-fascist’ attackers.[/li][li]Intentionally failing to render assistence against an attack, or intentionally failing to prosecute a crime, would expose police and prosecutors to criminal charges themselves. So they cannot do that.[/li]
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