Miteinander e.V. has welcomed today's ban against "Combat 18": "Almost 20 years after the ban of the neo-Nazi network 'Blood & Honour', the ban of the militant follow-up network 'Combat 18' is a long overdue step." , Pascal Begrich, executive director of the association said Thursday in Magdeburg. "However, after months of discussions about the ban, the question of its effectiveness arises," Begrich added.

David Begrich from the Center for Right-Wing Extremism at Miteinander e.V. added: "The long-announced ban harbors the danger that the core of the violent scene has already structurally regrouped. For example, neo-Nazi networks such as 'Brother of Honour' and 'Brigade 8' have now formed, which could act as successor organizations to 'Combat 18'." He added: "If the ban is to be effective, it must be consistently enforced. This includes taking action against successor structures under a different name, as well as right-wing rock networks."

At the same time, Miteinander e.V. pointed out that bans on such militant networks can only be part of an overall strategy against right-wing extremism. "Neo-Nazi networks are ideological communities of thought. Their protagonists outlast structural bans," said David Begrich. At the same time, he recalled the challenges posed by right-wing extremism to society as a whole. "The experience of the last decades shows: right-wing violence does not need fixed neo-Nazi structures."