For the German ultra-left he is a hero. For the Desdra court, he is a criminal who will organize and carry out at least six violent attacks, two of which are killed with hammers and batons, against alleged neo-Nazi bases. For this, 28-year-old Lina Engel was sentenced to 5 years and three months in prison. Along with him, three other members of Baader-Meinhof, this radical left-wing organization that has come to the fore with urban guerrilla activities in the country since the 1970s, were given lighter sentences. And this one has recently specialized in neo-Nazi hunting.
Left practitioners
According to the sentence, Lina Engel and her friends would have carried out at least six attacks between 2018 and 2020: neo-Nazis or suspected neo-Nazis were attacked with hammers, batons and pepper spray. Thirteen people were injured, two of them seriously. It is unclear whether the victims were all militants of the German far-right. Of course, there are members of a neo-Nazi group among them, and another investigation is underway by the judiciary: The accusation against this group is about plotting a series of assassinations against the leaders of the radical left.
#FreeLina! Our answer will be in the streets!
At the moment antifascism is still necessary and is becoming more and more important. At the international and local level, the right wing is increasingly intensifying. It is important to oppose this right. pic.twitter.com/kSFadHID4R
— @AntifaEnt@kolekiva.social (@Antifa_Entsy) 1 June 2023
Right-wing extremism is a growing phenomenon in Germany, and this is one of the reasons the Lina E. case has caused controversy and division among commentators. “The German police and judiciary have not acted successfully enough in recent years against far-right extremism,” says political scientist Hajo Funke. , stating that violence should always be condemned.
According to German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, the case against Lina E. shows that even violent ultra-leftists pose a “significant danger” and that “in a democratic state there is no place for lone executioners”. Crimes attributed to the radical left are often out-of-control demonstrations, but Lina Engel’s case is a recent example: “Secret groups have been forming within the movement for some time, which has isolated themselves and attacked their political groups. Thomas Haldenwang, head of the security services, said: “Then,” said Haldenwang, noting that radical leftists are now attacking their victims in their private spaces or workplaces. “The violence is almost limitless, the brakes have been pulled and we are lucky that no deaths have occurred so far.”
Lina Free
While not everyone in the radical left movement approves of Baader-Meinhof’s violent comeback, there is clear support for Lina E. When the resolution was read, several people in the Assembly were present to applaud the young militant. It’s not uncommon to come across graffiti that read “Lina is free” in her hometown of Leipzig, and clashes have already broken out between the woman’s supporters and the police in the past few hours.
Gestern hat sich gozeigt, dass wenn alle zusammen aufrufen, die radicale Linke in Hamburg auch noch ein Mobilisierungspotenzial line, welche teilweise from Polices auch was antgegenzusetzen hat. Organisiert wäre mehr möglich gewesen, aber war schon mal gut #FreeLina #hh3105 #antifaost pic.twitter.com/Er1LmYf2Me
— Halil_Abi (@Halil_Abi_) 1 June 2023
German officials fear that the worst may come in the coming days. Next Saturday has been declared ‘Day X’ by extreme leftists, a day of protest. On Indymedia, the online platform used by the left-wing radical, there has been an appeal since February to pay one million euros per year in prison for Lina E. and other “anti-fascists”. Its whereabouts are unclear, but there are clues: “neo-Nazi structures”, as well as government agencies, “authorities of repression” and the companies that work with them.
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Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
