Your Theodore Dalrymple quote - thank you.
Click to skip to bottom of this video transcript re German video about attempted coup.
Author: DW News (a German Public Broadcast Service) Date: December 7, 2020
Computer generated transcript below may contain phonetic and spelling errors, or missing/incorrectly transcribed words. Punctuation is usually omitted, but I have added a little for clarity.
TRANSCRIPT OF VIDEO Begins
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At least 25 people have been detained in
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a series of overnight raids across
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Germany over a plot to overthrow the
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state by force. Some 3 000 police
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officers were involved in searches of
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more than 130 properties nationwide.
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Authorities believe the suspects are
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linked to a nationwide far-right network.
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Among them are several former members of
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the Armed Forces and at least one active
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soldier.
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We want this fast-moving story. Let's
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bring in DW's political correspondent
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Julius saudeli. Julia what more can you
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tell us about these raids and about the
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suspects that have been detained?
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Yeah this was a very big operation that
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took place in 11 of Germany States, but
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also two people were arrested abroad, one
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in Italy, one in Austria and we've seen
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that 25 people have been arrested but
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that there are a further 27 uh suspects
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in the case suspected of also being part
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of this uh what is being called a
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terrorist Network and it is assumed that
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this is one of the biggest
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anti-terror operations in Germany since
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World War II. Uh, the accused and the
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suspects are seen to have been part of a
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terrorist network that was seeking to
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overthrow the Democratic order in
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Germany, and the center of this network
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seems to be
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an entrepreneur from the city of
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Frankfurt in Germany, who calls himself a
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prince although it is only a symbolic uh
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title but he owns a hunting lodge in
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thirinja and he seems to have been the
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man that was coordinating this network
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and part of the network was apparently
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also a former a member of the German
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Parliament for the far-right afd party
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who is currently an active judge in the
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city of Berlin but also members of the
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German Army and one member of the German
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Special Forces
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now the suspects apparently had a plan
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to overthrow the German government by
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force. How realistic are these or were
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these threats?
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Well the network seems to have formed at
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the latest in November 2021 so last year
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and the investigations into the network
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started in the early months of of this
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year after a tip came from the
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intelligence services in the state of
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Hessen especially regarding uh this uh
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Prince Heinrich as he is called and it
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seems like this network was actively
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working to form almost like a shadow
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cabinet and to arm itself to carry out
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an armed attack against the bundestag
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the German Parliament and actively
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arrest politicians and then therefore
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bring about a change in the government
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order of of Germany basically carrying
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out a coup and the group wanted to
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change the the government of Germany
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take power with the support of uh the
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Russian Federation the prosecution has
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said that the members of the network had
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already tried to get in touch with the
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representatives of Russia here in
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Germany to try to facilitate this
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process so we are talking of plants to
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carry out a coup here.
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Now the suspects are alleged members of
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the so-called Reisberger scene tell us
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more about that movement.
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yeah Reisburger means a citizen of the
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Reich of the German Empire, and this is a
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group of people who believe that the
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current Democratic order in Germany is
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illegitimate that the Democratic order
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that was established after the end of
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World War II is illegitimate and that
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the actual form of government that
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should still be in place in Germany is
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that of the German Empire and they have
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often conflicts with authorities. They
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refuse to pay taxes and
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estimates are that around uh 21
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000 people are a member are members of
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this network they have gotten closer to
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the anti-coronavirus protest movements
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that took place in the last few years
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taking over these protests but also
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merging with the conspiracy theorists
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that are also part of this movement and
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they are also somewhat close to the Q
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Anon movement that is quite a
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significant especially online and and it
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is a a movement that has been also
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watched by authorities and police forces
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here in Germany.
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Our political correspondent Julia
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Sardelli, there. Thank you, Julia.