Radical Right's Infiltration: Identitarians Target Schools with Propaganda
Schools receive distributions of pamphlets from identity advocates
Here's the deal, folks. Far-right extremists are targeting the younger generation to recruit them, and it's happening right outside our schools. You might have seen the flyers that say "Teachers hate these questions" popping up at schools in regions like Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Sounds innocent, right? Well, some of those flyers are part of an organized campaign by the Identitarian Movement (IM).
Who are these Identitarians? They're a far-right group with racist and Islamophobic views. They've gained attention with their protest actions, like when they unfurled a banner at the Brandenburg Gate with the slogan "Protect borders - save lives." This group is under surveillance by Germany's domestic intelligence agency. They see themselves as a "patriotic youth movement" and are active nationwide with regional subgroups.
The IM primarily targets young people with their propaganda. They spread their extremist messages primarily on the internet and through banner actions. In the southwest, there are about 100 people said to belong to the group. The IM believes that ethnic origin is the sole criterion for belonging to the German people. They advocate for each people to live exclusively on their own territory to preserve their identity. This leads to their demand for "Remigration" or reversal of migration movements.
The flyers currently in circulation foster mistrust towards people with a migration background, claiming that "mass immigration" leads to more violence against women, creating a false narrative. They also play on the anxieties of young people, suggesting that Remigration is the solution to all problems, and encouraging young people to join the IM.
Expert Rolf Frankenberger, from the Institute for Right-Wing Extremism Research at the University of Tübingen, warns about these fear-mongering tactics used by the IM. He mentions that the future anxieties of young people are addressed, such as financial instability and crumbling healthcare systems, often stirring up generational conflict with the so-called "boomers."
The IM is clever at presenting themselves as a powerful movement with such actions. However, the real danger lies in these flyers potentially attracting young people into online echo chambers, where they could become radicalized. The IM primarily targets youth between 13 and 16 years old, an age during which people struggle to find identity and direction.
Countering the Extreme Influence
From researcher Frankenberger's perspective, the flyers should not be dismissed. Instead, he recommends discussing these issues in group lessons. He believes that openly addressing such topics can help protect young people from the harmful influences of extremist groups.
Schools can also contact regional commissioners for democracy and tolerance in case of extremist incidents. Extremism prevention is integrated into teaching plans and visits to concentration camp memorials are encouraged. Awareness of values like freedom, human dignity, and the rule of law is also being strengthened in Bavaria through the "Constitution Quarter Hour" initiative.
Baden-Württemberg has established a task force to address the threat of disinformation and has plans to introduce "Computer Science and Media Education" in secondary schools to help students critically evaluate information and sources.
Sources: ntv.de, sba/dpa
- School
- Right-wing Extremism
- Identitarian Movement
- The Community policy should include discussions in group lessons to protect students from the extremist influences of groups like the Identitarian Movement, which are spreading propaganda in schools.
- To counter the radicalization of students, it's crucial for schools to implement programs like "Computer Science and Media Education" that teach critical thinking skills for evaluating information and sources, as proposed in Baden-Württemberg's strategy against disinformation.
