ore followers, mostly among teenagers in Eastern Germany. Many were new groups that arose amidst the economic collapse and subsequent high unemployment in the former East Germany. The activities of these groups resulted in several violent attacks on foreigners and creating a hostile atmosphere for foreigners in some towns. The violence manifested itself especially in attempts to burn down the homes for people in search of asylum in Germany.
("Arson attack" is a translation of the German word Brandanschlag, which implies throwing Molotov cocktails into houses (fire-bombing), and attempts to burn a house down.)
These events preceded demonstrations (Lichterketten; candle chains) with hundreds of thousands of participants against right-extremist violence in many German cities. These further precipitated other massive neo-Nazi demonstrations later on, which continue today. Demonstrations often erupt in violence as Nazis and their anti-Fascist counter-protestors clash in the streets.
The official German statistics for the year 1990 record 178 right-extremist motivated violence crimes(Gewalttaten), in 1991 there were 849 and in 1992 there were 1,485, with a significant concentration in the eastern Bundesländer (1999: 2,19 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants in the eastern Bundesländer and 0,68 in the western ones). After 1992 the numbers went down, although have risen sharply again in subsequent years. Because the strong public opinion and media coverage concerning Neo-Nazi ideologies is still extremely negative, large scale organizations by such groups are often attempted by local authorities to be surpressed in some way (sometimes unsuccessfully, and almost always only temporarily) when they reach a certain size.
A trial was held before the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitution Court), the highest court in Germany, about the prohibition of the NPD (National Democratic Party), considered (though not proven to be) a neo-Nazi party. In the course of the trial it was discovered that some high-ranking party members who should appear as witnesses worked as informants for the domestic intelligence service, the Verfassungsschutz (Constitution Protection). The trial turned into a major political scandal, was first temporarily suspended and finally rejected by the court because of the unclear influence of informants in the actions and image of the NPD. This issue has raised similar concerns globally, as attempts by all sides to discredit neo-Nazi parties often hinge on the availability of evidence that such groups are violent or illegal in some way. With informants and infiltrators in such groups so common, and the very purpose of these agents being to confirm suspicions of malevolent intent, it becomes difficult to discern whether a violent or illegal action is the product of the actual Nazi Party, or of the infiltrators own personal desire to see the party discredited.
In 2004, the NPD received 9.1% of the vote in the parliamentary elections for Saxony, thus earning the right to seat parliament members. The other parties are refusing to enter into discussion with the NPD.
Neo-Fascism in Italy
Organizations that have been described as 'Neo-Fascist' and/or 'Neo-Nazi' include;
Since the 1990s, Alleanza Nazionale has distanced itself from Mussolini and fascism and made efforts to improve relations with Jewish groups, with most die-hards leaving it; it now seeks to present itself as a respectable rightwing party. Lega Nord is primarily a secessionist movement, but has often been accused of xenophobia and racism; however, it has also lately presented its goals as a more moderate quest for local autonomy.
Neo-Nazism in the USA
Neo-Nazi Alliance rally in front of Capitol in Washington D.C.
In the USA, broad freedom of speech allows political organizations great latitude in expressing Nazi, racist or anti-Semitic ideology. Several White supremacist or white separatist groups share large parts of their ideology with Nazism. Due to First Amendment restrictions, the federal government generally cracks down on such organizations only after me