Wunsiedel, Northern Bavaria. The neo-nazi political party, Dritte Weg, has gathered to commemorate Adolf Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess. Locals watch on silently as they march through the streets in torchlight parade, carrying banners and banning drums. What is happening in Germany is happening all over Europe. The threat of violent action from the extensive far-right network has never been so present.
Their targets: Muslims, Jews, migrants, left-wing association leaders who, according to them, threaten the continent with a “great racial replacement”. We spent two years investigating these semi-clandestine networks in France, Germany and Romania. We set up a fake profile on a French neo-nazi forum. It’s one of many spreading hate online and has over 3,600 members. There are also online dating sites exclusively for white people, celebrating ‘white life, white love’. Members trade in Nazi memorabilia and we meet a man who served in the SS back in the Second World War. Shockingly, he still feels nostalgia for Nazi ideals.
A role-model for many of these ‘white warriors’ is Daniel Conversano, who quit France for the ‘white land’ of Romania where he has formed a community of ‘braves’. His followers include convicted terrorist, Login Nisin, who admitted to plotting to kill Christophe Castaner and Jean-Luc Melenchon. We visited Conversano and his supporters in Bucharest and questioned him on his views.
Many see the coming “racial civil war” as inevitable. As terrorist expert, Frank Dittrich, explains “There a constant risk of a group of people who will commit, at worst, attacks against government institutions, migrants or political enemies.” Far-right extremists are now considered one of the biggest threats to democracy in Europe.
Where have all the moderate people gone? Where have all the gentle, kind people gone? This is terrifying stuff! Are kind, gentle people a thing of the past now? – © Mark Alexander
