Germany on Monday remembered nine people killed by a far-right extremist four years ago in the small western German city of Hanau.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz condemned far-right groups for stoking hate and instigating violence, and promised stronger measures to combat racism and xenophobia.
“Four years ago, a right-wing extremist brutally murdered nine people in Hanau. His motivation was hate, his motive was racism,” Scholz said in a message posted on social media.
“Right-wing extremists are attacking our democracy. They want to socially exclude citizens, even expel them from the country. We will never allow this,” he said, referring to the recently leaked plans of far-right AfD on deporting immigrants.
In Hanau, a commemorative event was held to remember the victims, attended by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, Mayor Claus Kaminsky, Turkish Ambassador to Berlin Ahmet Basar Sen, community leaders, family members, and friends.
On Feb. 19, 2020, far-right extremist Tobias Rathjen attacked two cafes, killing nine young people and injuring five others. All the victims had migrant backgrounds.
Before the attack, the far-right extremist posted videos on the internet detailing his xenophobic views, and then killed both his mother and himself.
Interior Minister Faeser said all democratic forces in Germany should take the far-right threat more seriously, and take a stronger stance against right-wing extremists who spread hatred and xenophobic propaganda.
“The horrific racist murders deeply shocked Hanau and our entire country four years ago. We will never forget Gokhan Gultekin, Sedat Gurbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtovic, Vili Viorel Paun, Fatih Saracoglu, Ferhat Unvar, and Kaloyan Velkov,” she said.
“All democratic forces must take seriously the threat that right-wing extremism poses to many people in our country, and they must act. Our government will continue to use all the instruments of our constitutional state to combat right-wing extremism,” she stressed.
Germany has witnessed growing racism in recent years fueled by far-right parties and movements, which have exploited fears about a refugee crisis.
In 2022, right-wing extremists committed 23,493 crimes and carried out 1,170 violent attacks targeting migrants, refugees, or political opponents. At least 675 people were injured in those attacks.
At least 219 people have been killed in Germany by neo-Nazi violence since 1989, according to the human rights organization Amadeu Antonio Foundation.
