German hammer gang trial for seven accused of extreme-left violence

Seven people have gone on trial in Dresden, eastern Germany, charged with being members or supporters of a militant, criminal left-wing extremist group, Antifa Ost – also known as the “hammer gang”.

Earlier this month the United States designated Antifa Ost as a terrorist organisation, along with several other far-left European groups.

German prosecutors say the group, founded in late 2017 or early 2018, carried out violent attacks on people they considered to be part of the right-wing scene. The attacks took place in Germany and in the Hungarian capital Budapest.

The six men and one woman who are on trial face charges of attempted murder, aggravated assault, and property damage.

They have been named only as Henry A, Tobias E, Johann G, Thomas J, Melissa K, Paul M and Julian W, in line with German privacy laws.

According to prosecutors, the attacks, which went on for several years, were prepared for “intensively” and included, for example, spying on the targets in advance. In several cases victims were severely injured with blows from a hammer and batons.

One of the seven defendants, Johann G, is charged with having a prominent role in the group. He is accused of having planned the attacks and recruited members. Prosecutors say that another defendant, Paul M, organised combat training for the group.

In one attack, in January 2019, Johann G, Tobias E and others are alleged to have attacked four people at Germany’s Dessau-Rosslau train station who were on their way back from a rally in Magdeburg, marking the anniversary of the World War Two bombing of the city.

The defendants are accused of striking the victims on the head with heavy tools, including a hammer and an iron bar. Prosecutors say they continued to inflict life-threatening blows and kicks, even after their victims had been knocked to the ground.

Johann G and Paul M are also accused of having taken part in attacks in Budapest in February 2023.

At that time, right-wing extremists from all over Europe had gathered in Budapest for a so-called “Day of Honour” to commemorate the attempted breakout of the German Wehrmacht, the Waffen-SS, and their Hungarian collaborators from the city besieged by the Red Army.

Johann G and Paul M are charged with taking part in several attacks, hitting and beating right-wing activists with batons, pepper spray and a hammer. One of the victims received at least 15 blows, mainly to the head.

Antifa Ost was designated as a terrorist group in the US earlier this month, as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on extreme-left activists.

The designation makes group members ineligible to enter the US, freezes any assets they may have in the world’s largest economy and makes it a crime to provide material support to them.

The move was welcomed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Stephan Brandner from the AfD said the German government should follow suit.

“Antifa is a terrorist organisation, and it would be easy for the German state to take action against it. It’s just that those in power don’t want to,” he said.

“The US government is showing the way forward; something that is long overdue in Germany. All forms of extremism must be combated, and all terrorist organisations must be fought and banned.”

The German foreign ministry said it had taken note of the US decision.