Seven on Trial in Germany for Alleged Far-Left Hammer Attacks

A major trial has begun in Dresden, Germany, against seven individuals accused of belonging to a far-left extremist group. Prosecutors call the group the "hammer gang" because they allegedly used hammers to damage property. The defendants face charges including forming a criminal organization and aggravated arson. Their alleged actions include attacks on a former Nazi party office building and a police station. This trial starts just after the United States government designated a related group, Antifa Ost, as a terrorist organization. The seven individuals on trial are allegedly members of this same network.