Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/27/2024

Searchers have recovered the bodies of two victims of the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore. The bodies were located inside a trapped vehicle that had been submerged by the collapse. The remaining four victims are thought to be buried under the structural steel and rubble of the collapsed bridge, so further searching has been called off.

In other news, new crime statistics from the German city of Frankfurt show that foreigners are responsible for 100% of all serious sexual assault crimes.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Dora, Fjordman, Insubria, JW, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

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Breaking Bad

I don’t know about you, but after a hard day of starvation, I like to break my Ramadan fast with a yummy bar of KitKat™ Iftar chocolate!

My sweetie feels the same way — as soon as the sun sets, she can’t wait to go behind the modesty screen, lift the top of her burka, and break off a delicious bite of KitKat®.

Seriously, though — this report from Canada is pretty sickening. I’m used to corporate pandering to the Muslim market, but this Iftar chocolate product is really pushing the envelope.

Below are excerpts from a report by RAIR Foundation on this popular halal product. I couldn’t bear to embed the two KitKat© commercials, but I include links to the videos (or you can see the embeds in the original). Marion Maréchal is a different matter, though — I left in the embed of her video:

Ramadan Conquest: Nestlé’s KitKat ‘Iftar Bars’ and Western Cultural Erosion

by Amy Mek

Nestle Iftar bars represent not a celebration of multiculturalism but rather a troubling trend of cultural appeasement and submission to Islam.

The launch of Nestlé’s KitKat Iftar Bars in Canada for Ramadan is another example of Western corporations promoting the Islamization of nations for profit. This move, marketed as a gesture of “inclusivity” to a religion that does not extend inclusivity beyond Islam, is viewed as a calculated attempt to profit financially while undermining the cultural identity of the host nation.

While regular KitKats typically feature two or four chocolate-covered wafer fingers, this Islamized version boasts 30 fingers — one for each day of the holy month.

[Video 1]

Nestle Canada claims that this Ramadan snack was crafted to honor the Iftar tradition observed by Muslims, where they break their fast at sunset with an evening meal after abstaining from food and drink throughout the morning and afternoon during Ramadan. With KitKat’s iconic advertising slogan, “Have a break,” the company aims to celebrate the breaking of the fast at sundown.

[Video 2]

However, these Nestle Iftar bars represent not a celebration of multiculturalism but rather a troubling trend of cultural appeasement and submission to Islam. This trend is not unique to Canada; it’s seen throughout Europe, with initiatives like Ramadan lights in Oslo, Norway, and Frankfurt, Germany, symbolizing a broader pattern of accommodation that threatens Western cultural identity.

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Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/26/2024

The container ship MV Dali lost power when leaving Baltimore harbor this morning, causing the vessel to crash into a support column of Francis Scott Key Bridge, triggering a catastrophic collapse. Two people who were cast into the waters of the estuary were rescued, while six others are missing and presumed dead. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden claimed he had taken a commuter rail on the bridge many times, even though there was no rail line on the bridge.

In other news, farmers threw beets and sprayed manure at police in Brussels today as hundreds of tractors sealed off streets close to the European Union headquarters.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, Insubria, JW, LP, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

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Data Points

On November 24, 2015 a Turkish F-16 shot down a Russian Su-24 supersonic tactical bomber over either Syria (the Russian version) or Turkey (the Turkish version). The crew ejected from the Russian aircraft, and one of them met a horrible fate when he parachuted into the hands of the mujahideen of a Turkmen militia in Syria.

As might be expected, the Russian government objected vehemently to what the Turks had done, and demanded that the Turkish government make amends. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was defiant, however, and responded belligerently to Russia’s communications. He continued with his customary bombast and braggadocio for months afterwards.

As I followed these events in the news, I assumed that Turkey would eventually pay a price for its actions. Russia does not let that sort of attack go unanswered, especially one that is carried out by a less powerful adversary. But the Russians were (and are) patient and thorough, and I knew they would wait until the moment was right to exact their revenge on the strutting popinjay of Anatolia.

Mr. Erdogan continued in the same vein until the middle of the following June, when he suddenly changed his tune. Without any prior indication of contrition, on June 27, 2016 he made a groveling apology to Russia, obsequiously asking forgiveness for Turkey’s “mistake”.

A few days before the Turkish president said sorry, the Russian government had cut off all flights across the Black Sea to Turkey. The Anatolian beach resorts were favored destinations for Russian holidaymakers during the summer months, so this was a significant move. The Russian government also advised any of its citizens who were in Turkey to leave.

For his part, Mr. Putin declined to accept Mr. Erdogan’s apology. He said that unfortunately, an apology was not enough, and that Turkey needed to experience harsher consequences.

At that point I said to Vlad: “Holy [excrement]! Putin is about to do something to Turkey — wait and see!”

It was one of those rare occasions when, after putting a lot of data points together, I went out on a limb and made a specific prediction, on the record, with Vlad as my witness.

On June 28, 2016 — the very next day — a group of mujahideen carried out a suicide bombing attack at Atatürk Airport in Istanbul. 45 people were killed and more than 200 others wounded. Vladimir Putin expressed his sincerest condolences to the citizens of Turkey for the horrible tragedy that had befallen them.

Strangely enough, no terror group ever claimed credit for the attack. The attackers were eventually identified, and they hailed from the “stans” — Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Their atrocity may have been organized and coordinated by Chechen terrorists.

The FSB, continuing the work of its Soviet-era KGB predecessors, is known to have thoroughly penetrated all the terrorist networks in that part of Central Asia.

All of the above data points led me to conclude that Vladimir Putin had ordered the hit on the airport in Istanbul. As far as I’m concerned, that’s a fact, regardless of whether it can ever be proven.

Turkey was required to experience harsh consequences for shooting down a Russian jet, and it did. Afterwards Mr. Putin and Mr. Erdogan shook hands and made up. Cordial relations between the two countries were re-established.

And you can bet that Turkey will never, ever shoot down another Russian jet, not as long as Recep Tayyip Erdogan is in power.

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

I wrote the above recap of what happened eight years ago as a preface to the events of March 22, 2024. I assume that readers know the general outline of what happened at Crocus City Hall last Friday, so I won’t give a detailed account of the attack and its aftermath.

Here are some relevant data points that I have observed:

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Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/25/2024

Russian President Vladimir Putin called the gunmen in the Crocus City Hall attack “radical Islamists,” while suggesting the attack could be linked to Ukraine. Meanwhile, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said that everyone involved in Friday’s terrorist attack should be executed.

In other news, a doctor in the German state of Baden-Württemberg refused to treat one of his patients because he is a local politician for the AfD.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Daniel Greenfield, Dean, DV, JW, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

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Gagged in The Netherlands

The current crackdown on free speech is occurring simultaneously virtually everywhere in the Western world. The following example is from The Netherlands, but similar instances could be adduced from other countries. The worst offenders are probably Canada and the UK, but it’s hard to say for sure.

As Al Stewart sang (in “Rain Barrel”):

It’s only when the empire’s breaking
That you see their teeth.

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from the Dutch news platform NieuwRechts.nl:

Raisa Blommestijn criminally prosecuted due to her tweets

March 24, 2024

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed a criminal prosecution against the legal commentator Raisa Blommestijn. The reason for this is her comments on social media from last year. “This is indicative of the state of the West,” Blommestijn wrote on X.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office filed the prosecution last year due to Blommestijn’s tweets about migrant violence. This was confirmed by the legal commentator herself on X after an earlier report by the opinion maker Ashley St. Clair.

Violent video at Bijimar Arena Station

The reason for this is the tweets that Blommestijn wrote after a violent video went viral last year. In the video, an Italian tourist at the Bijimar Station was beaten and thrown onto the tracks by a group of youths with a migration background. The images went all over the Internet.

Blommestijn devoted a number of reports to it on X (formerly Twitter). “Every day, people are raped, beaten, intimidated, and slaughtered by migrants. The elite have opened the borders and deliberately forfeited our safety. Our home destroyed. And we let it happen. We let it happen. When is enough enough?” wrote the legal commentator, among other things.

For years, people with a migration background have been overrepresented in crime statistics. Not just in the Netherlands, but also in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, and Sweden. meanwhile, the Hungarian capital, Budapest, where there is hardly any mass immigration, is considered the safest place in continental Europe.

“Negroid primates”

Shortly afterward, the Forum for Democracy MP Gideon van Meijeren denounced the violent incident in the Tweede Kamer [House of Representatives]. Here he used the term “Negroid primates” to describe the rioters at the station. A ruckus arose over this terminology, to the dissatisfaction of Van Meijeren. He did not think it was racist, but a factual designation: “Primates” referring to the primitive behavior of the youths, “Negroid” referring to their skin color.

To show support, Blommestijn decided to use his terminology in her tweets. But a few months later, she noticed that her tweets were deleted because she was reportedly in conflict with Dutch law. Therefore, the legal commentator decided to repost the tweets, in her words, “to show how far censorship now goes”.

Criminal prosecution

For the Public Prosecutor’s Office, this was a step too far. In August, Blommestijn received a telephone call saying that a criminal prosecution was being filed against her on suspicion of insulting a group of people and provoking hate and discrimination (Article 137c of the Criminal Code).

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Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/24/2024

Russia observed a national day of mourning today in the aftermath of the terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow. Events at cultural institutions were cancelled, flags were lowered to half-staff, and television entertainment and advertising were suspended. Of the four alleged gunmen who were arrested, two have reportedly confessed to their role in the attack after interrogation by the security services.

In other news, the state of Michigan is reportedly promoting a program offering citizens $500 a month to take in migrants.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Conservative Tree House, Dean, Dora, DV, Fjordman, JW, Reader from Chicago, SS, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

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Austrians Look Forward to a Culture-Enriching Easter

Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from Heute:

At Easter: “High” terror danger — Karner increases police presence

Due to the danger of terrorism, Easter celebrations will be monitored by more police. Reportedly no indication of concrete dangers.

March 23, 2024

The danger of terrorism remains high in Austria, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. Therefore, during the days of Easter, more police will be deployed. In particular, the Easter markets and Easter masses will have increased police monitoring.

There will likely be a larger contingent of police in uniform and plainclothes in the coming days, the Interior Minister reported on Saturday. However, there are currently no indications of a concrete danger.

“High” threat level for terrorism and extremism

The risk level in relation to Islamist extremism and terrorism continues to be rated as “high” by the State Security and Intelligence Service. This is the second-highest level. Although “to date, there is no indication of a concrete danger,” Easter celebrations and Easter markets are “symbols of a high Christian festival combined with gatherings of people in public spaces.”

The Federal Police Directorate has ordered special protective measures, “in order to ensure as safe a process as possible for participants”, they state. This also applies to the Jewish Passover festival from 22-30 April.

“The police work around the clock for the safety of Austrians, and this is also required at Easter. Everything will be done there to ensure the safety of Easter markets and Easter celebrations as best as possible,” Interior Minister Karner assured.

Due to attack plots against the Vienna city center, the police had already increased security measures shortly before Christmas and warned of attack plots against Christmas markets and worship services. During the Christmas holidays, St. Stephen’s Cathedral was guarded by elite police.

ISIS vs. the FSB: Who Will Win?

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from the online German-language news portal Nius:

Arrests after attack in Moscow ++ Terrorists hide in the forest ++ ISIS claims responsibility for the crime that left 93 dead

First arrests after the Moscow attack!

According to the Russian domestic intelligence service FSB, eleven arrests have been made so far following the attack on a concert hall near Moscow. Four of those arrested are said to have been directly involved in the attack on the event center, FSB chief Alexander Bortnikov said on Saturday, according to the Russian state news agency Tass.

On Saturday morning, MP Alexander Chinstein announced two arrests: The suspected getaway vehicle was stopped in the Bryansk region with weapons inside, Chinstein writes on his Telegram channel. Other suspects were being searched for in a forest, according to a politician from the Kremlin party United Russia.

The vehicle failed to stop during a police chase on Friday evening, was shot at and then overturned. “One terrorist was arrested on the spot, the others hid in the forest,” said Chinstein. A second suspect was arrested early in the morning. The number of deaths has now risen to 93.

The search for the other suspected perpetrators will continue. A pistol, a cartridge magazine and a Kalashnikov as well as passports of citizens of the Central Asian Republic of Tajikistan were found inside the vehicle.

After the terrorist attack on an event center in Moscow, investigators seized weapons and ammunition in the building. This was shown in a short video released by Russia’s State Investigative Committee early Saturday morning. On display were a Kalashnikov submachine gun and belts full of magazines. The investigators collected bags of spent cartridges.

The victims of the attack had all been taken out of the building by Saturday morning, the Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing a correspondent at the scene. According to authorities, 93 people were killed and around dozens injured in Crocus City Hall on Friday evening when several gunmen opened fire. Firefighters battled a fire for hours in the huge building, which burned in an area of almost 13,000 square meters. After it was initially said that the fire was under control, open flames appeared again in the morning, as Tass reported. They came from inside the building and were clearly visible on the roof. The fire department extinguished the fire with water from outside. Firefighting helicopters that were initially in use were withdrawn. Crocus City, with concert and event halls as well as a shopping center, is located right on the outskirts of Moscow in the city of Krasnogorsk.

Terror expert Neumann: IS letter claiming responsibility for attack near Moscow is real

The terrorist militia Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack early on. A search was carried out at night for the perpetrators, without any new information.

Terror expert Peter Neumann from King’s College in London believes the letter of responsibility from the terrorist militia Islamic State for the attack near Moscow is genuine. “The message of confession was broadcast through all official IS channels. I and my colleagues can confirm this 100%,” Neumann wrote on Twitter.

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When Italian Law Clashes With Quranic Law, Quranic Law Prevails

The following video reports on illegal mosques that are operating in the Italian city of Monfalcone, one of them in the oratory of a church.

It’s important to note that the church facility could not be used for Muslim prayers without the permission of church officials, who are at least nominally Christian. The issue here is not what the Muslims are doing, but what the Christians are doing — that is, their pre-emptive surrender to the hosts of Mohammed.

Many thanks to HeHa for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes and RAIR Foundation for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

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Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/23/2024

The Russian government said today that it had arrested eleven people — including the four gunmen — after last night’s attack at a Moscow concert hall. The death toll has risen as high as 143, according to some reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to “punish” anyone involved in the attack, and said that the terrorists had “relevant contacts” in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia launched a missile and drone attack against Ukraine’s electric sector yesterday, plunging several cities into darkness.

In other news, thousands of people gathered in Prague’s Wenceslas Square this afternoon to oppose Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Dean, DV, Insubria, JW, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

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I Am Also a Slut!

I reported a couple of weeks ago on an incident in the Iranian city of Qom where a young woman angrily confronted a cleric for taking photos of her for not wearing a veil.

Below is a French follow-up to the story, which provides more background details on what happened. Many thanks to Gary Fouse for translating this article from France24:

#IAmAlsoASlut: Iranian women launch a hashtag against harassment by the mullahs

In a hospital in the very religious city of Qom, a woman, her sick child in her arms, was taken to task by a mullah because her veil was down on her shoulders. The video surveillance of the scene, posted on March 9, caused an outcry in Iran, women accusing the mullah, cell phone in hand, of wanting to report the mother using an app from the Islamic regime. Its users called the woman a “slut”… and unleashed a massive reaction on social media.

March 13, 2024

[Caption: Video appeared on March 9 on social media in Iran showing a young mother accusing a mullah of taking pictures of her and her child without asking her for permission. The mullah is accused of using an app furnished by the government.]

An initial excerpt of the video surveillance camera of the hospital shows the mother crouched in a corner, the veil on her shoulders, and her hair visible while a mullah stands nearby and uses his phone.

In a second excerpt. we see the angry mother, who accosts the mullah, whom she accuses of taking photos of her and her child without her permission. “Give me your phone, let me see the photo, and delete it,” she says. Several other women, some wearing hijabs, others not, come to her aid. One of them seizes the phone from the hands of the mullah and checks it.

A year and a half after the start of the demonstrations by the “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement in September 2022, Iranian women reacted to these images with vehemence. The videos of the scene have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times on social media.

Many comments suggest that the mullah was using an app furnished by the government on his telephone, known under the name of “Nazer” (observer or informant in Persian). It is furnished to informers approved by the Iranian government, to notify authorities of violations of the wearing of the veil to which they are witness. The women who are reported receive “unveiling notifications” by text message, in some cases, sanctions such as the confiscation of their vehicle.

In this message posted March 9, 2024, Iranian women share excerpts from the video surveillance camera of a hospital in Qom, in which is seen the mother accusing the mullah of having taken photos of her with her sick child. The mullah is called a “dirty pig” because he is suspected of having used an app furnished by the government to report the young woman for not wearing hijab.

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Gates of Vienna News Feed 3/22/2024

Four or five gunmen burst into a large concert hall in Moscow today and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing at least 60 people and wounding more than 100. One of the attackers threw a firebomb, setting fire to the venue. On social media, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack.

In other news, a transgender-identifying male was discovered having sex with a female inmate at a Washington state women’s prison.

To see the headlines and the articles, click “Continue reading” below.

Thanks to Caroline Glick, Conservative Tree House, Dean, DV, JW, McN, MM, Reader from Chicago, Roger, SS, Upananda Brahmachari, and all the other tipsters who sent these in.

Notice to tipsters: Please don’t submit extensive excerpts from articles that have been posted behind a subscription firewall, or are otherwise under copyright protection.

Caveat: Articles in the news feed are posted “as is”. Gates of Vienna cannot vouch for the authenticity or accuracy of the contents of any individual item posted here. I check each entry to make sure it is relatively interesting, not patently offensive, and at least superficially plausible. The link to the original is included with each item’s title. Further research and verification are left to the reader.

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Putting the AfD Behind Bars

I posted last night about the case of a 16-year-old German girl named Loretta, who was pulled out of school by police after her principal reported her for obliquely supporting the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland, Alternative for Germany).

Neither the previous article nor the one below discuss what got Loretta in trouble. Here’s a reminder of what caused her to be arrested:

At the end of February, the girl was taken out of class in front of her fellow students and questioned by police, as first reported by German newspaper Junge Freiheit.

In her TikTok post, she asked “What do Germany and the Smurfs have in common: They are both blue.” The post was in reference to the AfD, which has blue party colors.

The appalling actions by the government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania have drawn international attention to the state. In response, the state government is attempting to do damage control by hiding all of its internal deliberations.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from Junge Freiheit. The translator’s comments are in square brackets:

Schwesig government keeps school instructions under lock and key

The “Loretta case” concerns the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. New, explosive details have become known in a special meeting. The Union and AfD accuse Manuela Schwesig’s state government of a cover-up.

Schwerin

The state government of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, led by Manuela Schwesig (SPD), is keeping a memo under wraps in which school principals were informed about how supposedly extremist students should be dealt with. This was reported by the education policy spokesman for the AfD parliamentary group in the state parliament, Enrico Schult, following a special meeting of the education committee on the “Loretta case”.

“It is not helpful at all that the Ministry of Education is withholding ‘case scenarios’ sent to all school management, in a memo, on February 22, 2024, to which the headmaster referred and which are intended to clarify how to proceed in alleged cases of danger. Why exactly? Do these systems contain politically tinged requirements?” criticized Schult after the meeting.

He asked whether “the police should be called for every politically unpopular post.” “Or what happens when teachers accidentally come across critical posts in the media made by their students? Should they make a report?”

Criticism of the school principal and the state government

The AfD politician renewed his criticism of the behavior of the director of the Ribnitz-Damgartener Richard-Wossidlo-Gymnasium, who contacted the police at the end of February and had 16-year-old Loretta picked up from class after he was given screenshots of the 16-year-old’s social media appearances . These were not criminally relevant. Nevertheless, the officers carry out a “kind of threat address,” as they told Junge Freiheit.

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