Germany – Dem Volke Dienen: Solidarity with the Collective Zwickau

We hereby share an unofficial translation of an article published by Dem Volke Dienen on November 3.

On Tuesday there was a rather violent attack on activists in and from Zwickau. The targets of the crackdown were alleged members of the Collective Zwickau. We condemn this attack by the German State and wish to express our solidarity with those who were attacked. Those detained must be released immediately.

So far, our information comes from reports in the reactionary press. According to these reports, there were apparently raids in four federal states that were allegedly directed against the “Collective Zwickau.” The police carried out operations in the Zwickau district, in Thuringia (Saalfeld), Leipzig, Bremen, Hamburg, and Dresden.

The Dresden Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Police Center for Countering Terrorism and Extremism (PTAZ) of the Saxony State Criminal Police Office claim there is “suspicion of the formation of a criminal organization.” According to press reports, during the raids targeting twelve suspects, approximately 20 apartments were searched and five young men were arrested; two are said to have been placed in pretrial detention, one of them because he allegedly “physically assaulted a police officer during the search.”

The other charges brought against the activists include “attacks on political opponents,” “aggravated assault,” “robbery,” and “serious breach of the peace.” With all due respect, this is what anti-fascism must look like in some parts of this country, especially since the German reactionary forces, following the annexation of the GDR, built up, supported, and directed massive fascist structures in this region – and they continue to do so to this day.

This attack is not the first of its kind. As early as February 2025, there were similar attacks by reactionary forces against activists in Dresden, Saalfeld, Zwickau, and Schwarzenberg. There were house searches, seizures, and resulting court and legal costs that were by no means insignificant. Shortly before that, fascists attacked bars and restaurants in downtown Zwickau at night. Among them were premises on Innere Plauensche Straße used by the Zwickau Collective. The front door was smashed with a large paving stone, and an attempt was made to break it open. Prior to this, there had been months of (futile) attempts to intimidate the activists.