So, it’s the most popular political party in the country.
But it’s also a terrorist organization?
There seems to be some kind of serious problem with this “democracy” thing.
An administrative court in Düsseldorf has ruled that members of the antiglobalist, anti-migration Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party cannot hold gun licences and own firearms due to a perceived risk to national security. The court decision comes at a time when violent crime is at an all-time high and AfD members are targeted more than members of other parties by political violence.
According to the court’s verdict, all members of dissident parties under investigation by the country’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution are considered “unreliable” under firearms law and therefore banned from possessing guns. The case was originally brought by two AfD members who claimed that revoking their gun licences was a violation of their constitutional rights.
Gun ownership in Germany is already heavily regulated under strict licensing laws, with exemptions primarily for hunting or competitive shooting.
The ruling by the Düsseldorf court may also impact the ability of AfD-aligned public servants to maintain their roles by affirming that civil servants and soldiers can be penalised “up to and including dismissal from service for supporting a non-banned but anti-constitutional party.”
The two AfD members at the centre of the trial will have to surrender their firearms and ammunition immediately to the state but can appeal the decision to a higher court.
This is just nuts.
No one thinks they are murderers.
No one thinks they are terrorists.
They might think that in a situation of unrest, they would move to seize control of the government.
But hey – maybe if the government is afraid of that, they should do a better job of avoiding unrest?