German police foil 'anti-vaxxer murder plot' against state premier

A police vehicle is parked in front of a building during raids in several locations in Dresden, Germany, December 15, 2021, as part of an investigation into what they said was a plot to murder the state's prime minister, Michael Kretschmer, by anti-vaccination activists. The searches in the city of Dresden targeted individual members of a group on the messaging program Telegram, where plans for the killing were discussed in connection with the state government's coronavirus curbs, police said. REUTERS/Matthias Rietschel

BERLIN (Reuters) -German police have foiled a plot by anti-vaccination activists to murder the state premier of Saxony in eastern Germany, they said on Wednesday, as concerns grow over an increasingly violent pushback against COVID-19 vaccination plans.

The plot to kill Michael Kretschmer is the latest in a series of incidents that underscore the anger of some Germans over restrictions on the unvaccinated and plans to make vaccinations compulsory for the general population.