This week, German Special Forces arrested at least 25 suspected far-right extremists over

a plot to violently overthrow the government.

One of the things they were allegedly planning to do, use force to storm the German parliament,

the Bundestag, and kill political leaders.

This is probably one of the largest domestic terrorist operations ever undertaken by the German

intelligence agencies.

This is something very serious, and it was a full-fledged coup attempt in Germany.

That is Heidi Bjerg, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, speaking

with the PBS NewsHour.

Authorities say the plot involved a movement called Reichsberger, or Reichs citizens.

The movement's core belief is that Germany's modern democratic government is not legitimate.

Here's Bjerg again.

There's no question that the Reichsberger movement is very similar to some of our anti-government

movements.

For example, they would issue their own driver's license passports.

They reject the authority of the federal state.

That sounds like our anti-government activists here in the US.

And there is one specific anti-government movement in the US that is believed to have inspired

this German group, QAnon, which is a crazy conspiracy theory American created that is migrated

across the world, including into Germany.

So those links exist, both on the ideological front and in terms of the aims of what these

organizations are trying to achieve.

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