Anti-Flemist Tensions

At least five hundred protesters marched in the downtown of Sankt Anna, Wallei Province. Roads in the major shopping district were blocked as college-age youths, teenagers, and old grandfathers and grandmothers wore black T-shirts and sported, among other things, Christian crosses and signs that read, "FLEMISTEN RAUS!" The marchers twisted their faces in anger and spat out German slogans, throwing around such words as "Ausländer," "Flemismus," and "Flüchtlinge" -- foreigners, Flemingovianism, refugees. The police in their navy blue uniforms and visors watched from afar, huddled around street corners and parked cars. Kannex, of course, prided itself on its free speech.

Similar black-shirt movements marched in the rest of Kannex. Könighafen, Weiterburg, and Saisondorf saw similar folks marching.

Jörg Henneburg was reelected to Imperial Chancellor two years ago, after his grand victory over the Nebulan plague of communism -- or so they thought. Even the granting of independence to Pelhafor did not hurt his ratings much, despite the vitriolic response of the Nationalists. But two things did.

One, the slowing economy. Of course, Chancellor Henneburg could not be properly blamed for that -- the economy had its ebbs and flows and Henneburg happened to be the helmsman of the ship. As the auto manufacturers in Lohenstadt began sinking, the pressure onHenneburg's head increased.

Two, the McMasterdonian crisis. McMasterdonia, the vast nation to the north, was the centerpiece of international entropy, ripping itself apart in opposing currents of revanchist despotism and religious fundamentalism. International trade in that region virtually grounded to a halt. Thousands were dead already in that country; murdered by Flemist fanatics or killed by the McMasterdonian king's own troops. Many McMasterdonians fled the country. Men, women, and children rode leaky, overfilled boats to reach Kannex's neighbors before crossing the border over to the Kannexan Reich. Henneburg accepted all as part of Kannex's tradition of welcoming immigrants of all stripes -- but Henneburg's Democratic Party, in the eyes of the blackshirts, flung open the gates to a horde of infidels. The refugees were predominantly Flemist, worshiping alien gods and practicing strange customs. They were dirty, in rags, and they added to the already sizable Flemist minorities in the crime-ridden suburbs of western Kannexan cities.

Two days ago, Kannexan police in Tiamat Province arrested two men on suspicion of attempting to bomb a Flemist temple. The attack would have killed upwards of two hundred, many of whom newly-arrived refugees. This conspiracy nonetheless did not stop the so-called Patriotische Reichsbürger movement, who marched in force this afternoon. The PRB, among other nationalistic groups, have called for restricted immigration from Flemist countries, as well as a protection of the Christian identity of the Kannexan Reich.

As of last week, Henneburg's government had committed itself to "humanitarian and neighborly policies" in response to the refugee crisis. It remains to be seen whether the Patriotische Reichsbürger movement reflects a growing trend in the Kannexan political climate.

President Langston continued to show interest in the protest as she writes a letter directly to Chancellor Henneburg.

"Dear Chancellor,

It is in my knowledge that you have overwhelming issue over immigrants fleeing to your borders, outgrowing your ideals of keeping democratic order entact. Our unrecognised nation fully supports democracy, as we have established one as well. Perhaps that you could use some of our police recruits to contain the situation? Or perhaps we could discuss the topic on a meeting inside Kannex? However, it will take a few days to reach your borders, because our land is southeast of Plembobria. We await your response."

Chancellor Jörg Henneburg responded cordially, thanking the President for her offer, but politely refusing. "You can rest assured," the fine-printed English words read, "that the Kannexan administration is not at any risk. In our country, we treat the peaceable assembly of citizens as an exercisable right; the healthy exercise of which is crucial to the wellbeing of a democracy."

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This just in --

Dozens dead in Manhatt, Jurchland Province. Several explosions and a shooting have been reported to take place through the city around 5 p.m. this afternoon.

Among the sites struck was Ottoplatz Square at the heart of the city, the liveliest public square in Kannex. Hundreds of tourists and Kannexan citizens are expected to been in the square when the bombings occurred.

This appears to be the work of suicide bombers -- stayed tuned for more information.

The streetlamp-lit streets of midtown Manhatt ring with chaos. The sirens of ambulances and police wagons can be heard all through the city as Kannexan security forces responded to the first reports of a terrorist attack. Navy blue-clad cops with handguns and some with night-black armor and assault rifles patrolled the streets. Near one of the bombing sites, a burnt-out café, officers sealed up bodies in bags. Blood lay splattered on the asphalt as a woman sat on the curb nearby, head wrapped in her hands like a child. Men, some limping, some with blood and many with coats and livid faces, shouted across the scene. Bits of street German here and there filled the air. Anger, despair, bewilderment all expressed themselves in the faces of men and women staggering from the block. News reporters from various stations were already present, making careful note of each movement, each action by the police or survivors, for the viewing of millions here and abroad.

Amid the confusion a hostage crisis continued several miles to the north, in uptown Manhatt. An explosion rocked the dark streets as cops dressed as soldiers charged into the palace-like museum. The camera rocked violently as the cameraman struggled to keep up, or keep away. A full ten minutes later and the police captain stepped out of the van. He wore a forlorn expression as he faced the flock of reporters. "We have neutralized the attackers within."

Under the Chancellor's orders, the Grenzschutz has sealed the Kannexan Empire's borders. Flights out of Manhatt have been temporarily halted. The port has closed. The Army has been deployed in Manhatt and Weiterburg to maintain order and keep the peace.

A statement from the Chancellor will follow later.

Terror Attacks in the Kannexan Empire
Anti-Flemingovianist tensions rising in Kannex; attacks kill many
SNN News | Posted: November 15, 2015

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Syrixians in Pataliputra holding vigil for those killed in Kannex.​

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MANHATT, KANNEX- This just in! Terrorist attacks have taken place in Manhatt, Kannex spurred by the migrant crisis of McMasterdonian refugees following the McMasterdonian civil war. The Maharaja has called this event "a terrifying tragedy", as well as saying that "the hearts and minds of the Syrixian people go out to Kannex." Many Syrixians and political pundits believe that some Flemingovianist terrorist group carried out the attacks.

The Patriarchate of Cape El, the largest and by far most destructive of such groups, has not yet stepped forward as the perpetrator, but around 86% of all Syrixians believe they were behind this. Another 8% believe another Flemingovianist group perpetrated the attacks, and the last 5% believe some other type of group did it. All can agree, however, with the words of the Prime Minister Rohit Kumar: "These attacks show us the magnitude of both the extremist threat, and the anti-Flemingovianist tensions in Kannex. We must come together to end the horrific atrocities of the McMasterdonian Civil War."

The Prime Minister also spoke about the anti-Flemingovianist tension in Kannex, saying: "This hate and this fearmongering is only creating more problems. People should not hate that group of people; but instead their extremist ideology. It is this perversion of the Flemingovian religion that is causing problems. For the sake of both the Flemingovian religion and the people Flemingovianist extremism is harming, we must fight the extremists, and we must fight the hate against all Flemingovianists caused by these extremists."

Syrixian football teams, handball teams, and soccer teams as well as numerous other teams and organizations in Syrixia today have displayed the Kannexan flag and numerous towns have decided to lower their Imperial flags to half mast.

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© Syrixia Broadcasting Corporation, 2015. All rights reserved.

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"We have reasonable suspicion," began the Innenministerium spokesman with a slow and steady tone, "that the terrorist attacks committed in Manhatt were executed by the radical Flemist organization known as the 'Army of Flem.'" The spokesman was a fat man, an olive-skinned Mestizo by the looks of it, a horseshoe of balding hair on the back of his scalp. His eyes were deep and he spoke slow, clear German to the gathered reporters, as if he were speaking to a group of schoolchildren. Camera flashes flickered and silhouetted the man in the curtain background behind the podium. "Eight individuals, now dead, are believed to have orchestrated the attack. These included Kannexan nationals of McMasterdonian descent as well as two McMasterdonian citizens."

His voice droned on. Snippets of his report were played continuously in the Monday morning news. Throughout the day, worried Lutheran housewives of Kannex tuned in to the various news channels to find repeats of the Innenministrium official's press release, commentators -- talking heads with neckties and suits -- yelling over each other to make their points known, and the strong words of the Kannexan Chancellor Henneburg.

"Der Terrorismus wird nicht unser Reich und die Freiheit unseres Volkes zerstören! Kannex wird überwinden!"

From the weekend to the end of this night, over a hundred raids had been conducted in Kannex at the homes of suspected terror links. Two Flemist temples were raided. Calls for greater surveillance legislation sounded left and right, as voices over television, radio, and in the chambers of Congress demanded for an end to something, some concrete and strong action by the government, against the Flemist terrorist extremist radical foreign threat, or whatever one wanted to call it.

Gott erhalte den Kaiser.

Kannexan Reichsheer soldiers in combat green stood guard at each end of the train car, in front of the locked doors. Under their steel helmets, the soldiers' eyes fixed themselves straight forward. Their lips held taut like their rifles close to their chests. One could not tell if they were loaded.

At first the passengers felt oppressed by the presence of the guards. "Extra precautions," one of the men snickered, "in case we fancy blowing ourselves up." Many of the passengers began making light chatter in Mercanti, exchanging facts about themselves, about their hometowns and their lives before the war. A group of girls who looked like they would have been school-age sat together near the front, preparing each others' braids and giggling over petty jokes. Little boys sat near windows on their mothers' laps and pointed at the monotonous grassy landscape of the eastern Kannexan plains. One mother spent the entire ride trying to hush a crying baby in a cloth diaper. The crying filled the entire cabin but the others paid no notice, continuing their conversation. There was little to do but to talk with vivid words about a forlorn life or glumly stare at the boundless grassy plains that were speeding past their field of vision. The McMasterdonians were in a new country, whether they liked it or not.

In an hour, the sun had dropped below the horizon. The sky became dark and teeming with a myriad twinkling stars. The train began a screeching, slow halt at last. The refugees peered out the windows and saw, within walking distance, a large encampment of tents and wooden houses. Beyond that there were grassy plains, what seemed to be a river reflecting the moonlight a mile away, and mountains in the distance.

The passengers became silent. The soldiers began barking something in Germanized Mercanti. Slowly the refugees stood from their seats, grappling their bags of clothes and babies. As they filed out the train car and into the fresh night air, they jumped onto the dirt road and gave a good look around. No civilization for miles. Grass, dirt, mountains in the distance -- at the very center, tents and hastily constructed wooden cabins. Some Kannexan soldiers were already present, slinging rifles over their shoulders as they regarded the McMasterdonian foreigners. They were somewhere in Sanssouci Province, a retention camp, by the looks of it... "What are we, criminals?!" exclaimed a woman in Mercanti. The people around her nodded and repeated her sentiments. "Hey, Nexi!" one man shouted to the Kannexan soldiers. "Wir haben gedacht, dass wir nach Dominikus fahren würden!" The others needed no translation; they began shouting in a mixture of Mercanti and German. The Kannexan soldiers shouted in response, as if not to drown in the flood of noise. They began backing away as the mass of refugees drew forward in outrage and incredulity, asking for answers in two languages. "Wir sind nicht Terroristen! Wir sind nicht Verbrecher!" the McMasterdonians shouted, and the Kannexans raised their weapons --

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"Die Verfassung gilt auch für Flüchtlinge!" A middle-aged woman shouted to the news camera as the reporter pointed a microphone to her indignant expression. "Diese Konzentrationslager, die die Regierung etabliert hat, sind einfach verfassungswidrich![/i]"

In the streets of Weiterburg and Könighafen, white-shirted protesters of mainly college-aged youth marched and camped before government buildings. Many were clearly of McMasterdonian descent; a few brought Flemist symbols and shouted, "Ich bin nicht ein Terrorist!" at the Kannexan news cameras and row of policemen who hid themselves under dark visors and riot shields.

Congress was not much different. The leftists among the Democrats and the libertarians were outraged, heckling as Chancellor Henneburg stood at the front podium. The gray-haired statesman spoke clear, slow German, explaining the rationale behind his moves. When he finished his speech for an appeal to the security of the Reich, a scene unfurled in Congress that had not been seen before -- the opposition Nationalists stood and applauded the Democratic Chancellor as did the pro-establishment Democrats, all in front of the cameras of Kannex and the world.

But it could not be helped. Among the Democrats many were too liberal. About a quarter of them broke rank as Chancellor Henneburg's Securität Act went up to vote, but the Nationalists and the pro-Henneburg Democrats rallied behind. The security law, granting the government greater powers to combat home-grown terrorist networks, passed with support from members of both parties. This deemed it "bipartisan" in the eyes of the main Kannexan news networks. Within a week, offices in surreptitious locations across Weiterburg were being converted to house the new internal intelligence resources.