A young man from Alsace was arrested by investigators from the Anti-Terrorist Sub-Directorate (SDAT) and taken into custody after threatening to carry out violent action during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
He called for beatings and encouraged violent actions in the run-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. A young Alsatian was arrested this Wednesday, July 17 by police officers from the Anti-Terrorist Sub-Directorate (SDAT), in Bas-Rhin according to information from ParisianThe young man, who uses the pseudonym “Panzer” on social networks, in reference to the tanks used by the German army during the Second World War, is the administrator of the far-right group “Division aryenne française” on the secure messaging service Telegram.
The young “Panzer” was taken into custody due to the suspicions weighing on him and as part of an investigation opened by the national unit for combating online hatred, reports The ParisianArrested at his home, books and other items testifying to a neo-Nazi ideology were found on site according to BFMTVThe French anti-terrorism services are particularly monitoring extremist movements that pose threats to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
A hatred of the Olympics and a drag queen torchbearer
Messages calling for violent action against the 2024 Olympics and coming from the group run by the young neo-Nazi led to a series of arrests, including that of “Panzer”, by the SDAT less than ten days before the opening ceremony of the sporting event. The messages consulted by the anti-terrorism services, and since deleted due to the configuration of the Telegram channel, highlighted hatred against the Olympics fueled by the promotion of drag queen Minima Gesté during the Olympic torch relay in Paris on July 14. “It’s simple, the government is playing with our balls. If this person really carries the Olympic flame, I will take action” wrote “Panzer” on Telegram. The Alsatian also threatened elected officials adds BFMTV.
“There must be beatings”
Previous posts by “Panzer” and his followers on the “Division aryenne française” group called for violent action, especially after the European elections won by the National Rally. “It is time to act, roundups must take place in the coming days. I call on all far-right groups to transfer this message to your channels and to come out on our streets against the leftists to defend our flag, our country, our homeland,” he wrote. Other posts urged people to “throw Molotov cocktails” at rival activists.
Some of these calls have turned into action according to Marianne which indicates that members of the French Aryan Division beat up men trapped on the controversial and since closed site Coco.gg. Videos of the beatings were then broadcast on the group. A history that has led the SDAT to fear violent actions in the lead-up to and during the 2024 Paris Olympics.