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Right-Wing 'Active Clubs' Blend Combat Training and Extremism in North Rhine-Westphalia

Authorities warn the groups’ Telegram-driven recruitment could fuel significant extremist violence.

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Overview

  • Three clubs—AC Niederrhein, AC Nordrhein and AC Ostwestfalen—have formed since 2024 with a combined membership in the lower double digits
  • Security authorities classify the Active Clubs as a violent extreme-right network with substantial threat potential despite their small size
  • Members blend health, fitness and combat sports activities with right-wing extremist ideology to attract recruits
  • Clubs have already been linked to low-level offenses such as assault, trespassing and property damage while extending international extremist contacts
  • CeMAS and NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul highlight the clubs as part of a larger modernization of the extremist scene and urge intensified monitoring