2017 saw a record increase in gun permits in Germany.
More and more German citizens are choosing to arm themselves as the number of weapons permits for firearms saw a record increase in 2017 going up nationwide by 85 per cent.
In January 2016, Germany had around 300,000 holders of “small weapons” permits that allow citizens to own various kinds of weapons such as pepper spray and pistols that fire gas pellets. By the end of 2017, that number almost doubled to 557,000, Deutsche Welle reports.
Self-defence courses are also on the rise as many martial arts gyms and others have claimed that they have seen a surge in new members in recent years.
Now, I don’t want to apply motive to why Germans are buying these weapons but crime certainly would be my first guest. Crime rates have risen in Germany and political turmoil has split it in half. The right to protect yourself is a normal reaction to these circumstances.
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