Olaf Scholz

Germany’s Scholz calls for ‘consequences’ following Islamist rally

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BERLIN — German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Monday there must be “consequences” following an Islamist rally in Hamburg that sparked condemnation from politicians across the country.

More than 1,000 people participated in a demonstration in the northern German city on Saturday, holding up posters with slogans like “caliphate is the solution” and calling for the introduction of Sharia law. Authorities said the demonstration was organized by people close to an organization called “Muslim Interactive,” a group which experts say rejects democracy and that domestic intelligence authorities classify as extremist.

“It is quite clear that all Islamist activities must be tackled using the possibilities and options of our constitutional state,” Scholz said at a press conference alongside the prime minister of Montenegro, Milojko Spajić.

“I believe that we must therefore also take a close look at the specific consequences to be taken from what we have seen there,” the chancellor said. Criminal acts, he added, “must be prosecuted.”

On Sunday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser vowed to take “tough action against Islamist terror propaganda and hatred against Jews.”

“If you want a caliphate,” she added, “you’ve come to the wrong place in Germany.”