Vaccine Opponents in Germany Investigated Over Plot to Kill State Governor

BERLIN — The authorities in the eastern German city of Dresden said Wednesday that they had searched the homes and seized weapons belonging to vaccine opponents who they said planned to kill the Saxony state governor over his support for coronavirus measures.

Five men and one woman, between the ages of 32 and 64, are being investigated, the prosecutor’s office in Dresden, the capital of Saxony, confirmed on Wednesday. The authorities said the group communicated their plans to kill the state governor, Michael Kretschmer, over the Telegram messenger service. A public broadcaster had reported on the alleged plot last week.

Among the weapons found were a gun and several crossbows, officials said. The suspects met on a group chat called “Dresden offline networking,” where they shared content critical of vaccinations and lockdown measures that German states have been using to try to stop the spread of the virus, they said.

Mr. Kretschmer has been backing strict rules, as Saxony has the lowest vaccination rate among German states, and is among those with the most infections. Thousands of people in the state have set off on nightly “walks” to protest both restrictions and vaccinations in recent days, with demonstrations becoming more violent.