The Dresden City Council has officially declared a ‘Nazi emergency’ amid fears over the rise of far-Right groups in the eastern German city. Voting in favour of an official motion, supporters said it was necessary to ‘strengthen civil society and democracy’ in the city. The motion demanded increases in funding for education and civil engagement, while it also called upon council authorities not to approve any marches featuring far-Right elements. In calling for federal support to tackle the crisis, the motion stated “anti-democratic, anti-pluralist, misanthropic and right-wing extremist values and actions, including violence in Dresden, are increasingly becoming apparent.” The council is run by a Left-wing coalition, but has a strong Alternative for Germany (AfD) membership. Leftist councillor Max Aschenbach, who developed the resolution, said the city needed to acknowledge extremism had reached crisis levels. “This city has a problem with Nazis and we need to do something about it,”
