Police in Germany’s eastern state of Saxony have launched a series of raids after death threats were made against Premier Michael Kretschmer for backing coronavirus (COVID-19) measures.
Far-right anti-vaccination activists are suspected of plotting violence with crossbows or other “piercing weapons”.
Saxony has the lowest Covid vaccine take-up in Germany.
Last year, Mr Kretschmer warned of Covid “hysteria” but he later apologised and has since backed strict measures.
Germany’s new chancellor, Olaf Scholz, told Members of Parliament (MPs) on Wednesday that “this tiny minority of uninhibited extremists” would not be allowed to impose their will on society.
Police in Saxony said security forces, including the special Soko Rex anti-extremist unit, were raiding a number of locations, in response to the threats made against the state premier highlighted by a German TV documentary a week ago.
The plot against Mr Kretschmer was first exposed by the Frontal programme whose journalists had infiltrated a group of some 100 people communicating via the Telegram messaging app.
Calling themselves Dresden Online Networking, members would discuss ideas and even meet up in parks, public broadcaster, ZDF, reported. The programme monitored one conversation in which one man spoke of being armed and ready.
Police said statements had been made on plans to kill the state premier as well as other state representatives.
The revelations prompted an outcry in Germany. Mr Kretschmer said all legal means should be used against such threats.
“People in public office should have no fear of speaking their mind and doing their job,” he said.
Mr Kretschmer, a member of the centre-right Christian Democrats, who were in government nationally until last week, was initially hostile to tight Covid restrictions.
But, since Saxony became one of the German states hit hardest by coronavirus, he has changed his mind.
Saxony has the lowest vaccination rate in Germany, with 61.9 per cent, having had a first dose and the second highest incidence rate of infection. Only neighbouring Thuringia has a higher rate of cases.
Mr Kretschmer spoke this week of a race against time to get vaccinated.
Last week, Germany’s new government steered through a draft law to require all health workers and soldiers to get vaccinated by next spring, and Chancellor Scholz has backed mandatory vaccines for all adults early in 2022. -BBC
