German police have raided a sports event suspected of being a far-right gathering in Westerwald. Around 200 officers were deployed to break up the meeting, where they controlled approximately 130 participants.
In an extensive overnight operation on October 5, police dissolved a gathering with suspected far-right connections in Hachenburg, Rhineland-Palatinate. The raid took place in a section of the so-called “Fassfabrik” (Barrel Factory), where officers checked and recorded the identities of about 130 individuals. Police suspect that the small far-right party “Der III. Weg” (The Third Path) organized the meeting. Prior intelligence had indicated a combat sports event at this location, attracting participants of various age groups from across Germany and the Netherlands.
Although the event was classified as an “indoor sports event” requiring no official registration, authorities are investigating its potential far-right background. The police cordoned off the area extensively and illuminated it with spotlights.
While there were no arrests during the operation, and participants cooperated during identity checks, officers seized numerous items that “unequivocally indicate far-right ideology.” The police also recorded one violation each of narcotics and weapons laws, including the discovery of drugs, though no firearms were among the confiscated items. One participant reportedly insulted an officer, calling them a “pig.”
According to a police spokesperson, the gathering included an area for combat sports demonstrations, possibly intended to strengthen a shared ideology. Investigators suspect the combat sports involved more intensive physical confrontation.
Background on “Der III. Weg”
Founded in 2013, “Der III. Weg” is classified as a far-right minor party with approximately 800 followers by the Federal Office for Constitutional Protection. The party’s ideology is heavily influenced by National Socialist, antisemitic, and racist beliefs. It particularly rejects the democratic constitutional state through its aggressive rhetoric on asylum and immigration issues. The Rhineland-Palatinate Constitutional Protection Office has long been monitoring the party.
The Barrel Factory in Westerwald is known as a meeting point for the far-right scene. According to the Rhineland-Palatinate Constitutional Protection Office, “Der III. Weg” regularly organizes “self-defense training” there and hosts “pub evenings” combined with combat sports events to promote networking with other far-right actors.
