What’s new about neo‑Nazi gangs in Germany: A new hyper‑masculine generation of right-wingers?

Authored by Dr. Marc Gärtner, an expert in International Gender Equality Policy from MenEngage member organisation Bundesforum Männer, this analysis explores the rise of a new generation of neo-Nazi gangs mobilising against LGBTQI+ pride events in Germany. It highlights how the far-right ideologies driving these extremist youth groups link masculinity with queerphobic violence and why confronting them is critical.

During the summer of 2024, far-right protests threatened queer and gay pride events in 28 German cities: ​“The protests were characterized by large, aggressive crowds of neo-Nazis from a variety of groups, with several new right-wing extremist youth groups gaining publicity and followers in large part as a result of their participation in anti-CSD demonstrations.” (CeMAS)

CSD (Christopher Street Day) is the acronym for (usually annual) gay/​queer pride marches in German-speaking countries, referring to the New York City street where queer activities emerged in 1969. In 2024, about 180 CSD rallies took place in Germany. Other sources mention 55 attacks on CSDs in the same year (Amadeu Antonio Stiftung). Many of those attacks against anti-queer rallies were organized by a new type of ultra-rightist networks of radicalized youngsters.

From ​“Kameradschaft” to TikTok: a new youth culture of hate

Since early 2024, a new wave of neo‑Nazi gangs has emerged, composed mainly of teenagers and young men. These groups display behavior and organization reminiscent of the 1990s ​“Kameradschaften” (“comradeships”): informal, militant, street‑oriented networks with low entry thresholds and ritualized violence (Counter Extremism Project).

They exploit online platforms (Instagram, TikTok, WhatsApp, Telegram) to recruit, radicalize, and organize, creating communities based on hyper‑masculine identity, physical strength, group loyalty, and a glorification of violence (CeMAS, Counter Extremism Project, Guardian).

These groups position themselves as the defenders of German manhood — resurrecting an image of the ​“tough, loyal warrior” reminiscent of Freikorps and Stahlhelm traditions (Wikipedia). Violent actions — like arson, street brawls, and attacks on migrants — are central to their identity, showcasing physical dominance and bonding through group violence (The Times, Taylor & Francis).

Anti‑Pride mobilization as a gendered spectacle

These gangs actively disrupted 2024 CSD/​Pride events, including major mobilizations — Leipzig, Magdeburg, Plauen, Zwickau, Görlitz — where hundreds participated (CeMAS). The protests are explicitly tied to male-dominated extremist groups, using slogans such as ​“Heimat, Jugend und Nation! Nieder mit der Perversion!” (​“Homeland, youth and nation! Down with perversion!”) and reinforcing anti-queerness as part of defending an imagined ​“pure” masculinity (CeMAS). These actions serve dual purposes: intimidation of LGBTQ+ communities and reinforcement of in-group cohesion centered on homophobic masculinity.

Gangs like Last Defence Wave (“Letzte Verteidigungswelle”) recruited minors (14 – 18 years old) via social media, organizing arson and planned murders targeting migrants and political opponents (Guardian). The fusion of online extremism bonding with real-world violence sends a potent signal: hyper-masculine identity is enacted, not just expressed (Counter Extremism Project, Guardian). 

Manhood, culture and the re-defined ultra-right

Queer identity is framed as ​“symbolic of decline”: As part of a broader war against ​“degeneracy,” LGBTQ+ rights are positioned as the antithesis of nationalist masculinity (Context News). Anti-Pride events become a ritual battleground — public arenas where gangs exhibit strength, dominance, and patriarchal control. Attacking queer visibility reinforces internal group cohesion — a shared cultural performance of masculinity through confrontation.

To sum it up, new neo‑Nazi youth gangs in Germany are redefining extremist organization:

• They link hyper-masculine identity with structural violence — both offline and online.
• Attacks on Pride events serve both ideological and social functions: queer bodies become convenient targets to perform defiance and unity.
• The interplay of social media mobilization, macho bonding rituals, and visible aggression reflects a modern, digitally-savvy movement rooted in old-fashioned, militaristic masculinity.

Understanding this dynamic is essential to tackle both the gendered symbolism and social mechanisms driving these groups — and to better protect LGBTQ+ communities and uphold democratic norms.

Queer groups respond to far-right protests with strong police presence, nationwide coordination (e.g., CSD umbrella campaign), political messaging (“Pride vs. hate”), public awareness actions, monitoring of threats, and alliances with pro-democracy networks. Strong solidarity within civil society is needed to counteract these sometimes very successful right-wing mobilizations against democratic rights, minorities and groups that are portrayed as enemies, and to secure human rights for all in the long term.

Author: Dr. Marc Gärtner, Bundesforum Männer (Federal Forum for Men), Berlin