Critics jeer jackboot ban

Germany is trying to stem a rise in right-wing crime

Critics have poured scorn on a call by Germany's Family Minister Christine Bergmann to ban bomber jackets and jackboots from schools.

In the latest initiative to stem the rising tide of neo-Nazism among young Germans, Ms Bergmann praised schools which banned far-right fashion from their grounds.

But she has been criticised for focusing on questions of style rather than substance.

"It's not about clothing but false convictions and behaviour that must finally be changed," Berlin schools official Klaus Boeger said.

Some critics think that a clothing ban could in fact make far-right groups more attractive to young people.

Ozcan Mutlu from the Green party said a ban would give these kinds of clothes "an aura of the forbidden and resistance".

But Ms Bergmann told the Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad that it was important for young people to realise that "this martial clothing is not a simple display of fashion" but an expression of beliefs.

However police trade unions are concerned about the legality of such a ban.

Government plans

Germany already bans the display of swastikas and other Nazi symbols as well as the shouting of Nazi slogans such as "Heil Hitler!".

Not just a fashion statement, says Christine Bergmann

In the past there have also been spot bans on bomber jackets and jackboots at neo-Nazi demonstrations.

But extremists have got round such bans by wearing clothes with prominent logos which they believe suggest Nazi ideology.

The federal government has made an extra DM 65m ($30m) available to clamp down on young neo-Nazis.

It plans to beef up political education and counselling and aims to set up an international exchange programme as part of a network against xenophobia.

Earlier this year Germany reported a steep rise in the number of racist crimes as well as increasingly sympathetic attitudes towards Nazi ideology among young people.