E/CN.4/1996/72/Add.2 page 8 Ministry of the Interior of Saxony to combat the extreme right and xenophobia. Its membership ranges between 15 and 50 highly qualified police officers from the west of the country, particularly Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. It should be explained, as regards this cooperation between Saxony and other Länder, that the unification process disrupted police services in the eastern Länder; this is also why there were acts of violence without a rapid and effective reaction from the security forces. 40. Soko Rex has adopted the twofold strategy of putting extreme rightist circles under constant pressure by searching the headquarters of their organizations and their members' homes, mounting surveillance on their activities and punishing illegal acts while at the same time taking preventive action among young people to stop them coming under the sway of the extreme right. It maintains close relations with the general public, which is kept regularly informed of its activities. The group has arranged prevention campaigns during which posters bearing the messages “Nazis and violence stand no chance” and “A bit more humanity” have been distributed. 41. This strategy has cut xenophobic crime by 75 per cent in Saxony. The Special Rapporteur visited Soko Rex headquarters and could see how effective it was being from the large quantities of racist literature and weapons (firearms and others) seized from extreme rightist movements. IV. ACTION BY SOCIETY AT LARGE 42. Like the federal and local authorities, society at large, under the leadership of the Commissioners for Foreigners, the churches, a variety of associations and private businesses (notably Bertelsmann 11), has reacted against the wave of xenophobic violence that swept across Germany. Germans have firmly rejected xenophobia, racism and rightist extremism. A good many organizations and citizens have joined the campaign against xenophobia and rightist extremism, forming “chains of light” to protect asylum-seekers' hostels. Millions of demonstrators have marched in protest against this and other forms of discrimination. 43. In November 1992, following the incident in Rostock, 350,000 people took part in a demonstration in Berlin. On 6 December 1992, 300,000 people marched in Munich against intolerance, anti-semitism and extreme rightist violence. On 31 January 1993, over 1 million people paraded in demonstrations against racism and xenophobia in the Land of Baden-Württemberg. It is estimated that 3 million people have taken part in at least 50 public demonstrations throughout Germany. 44. In late September each year, during intercultural week (foreign fellow-countrymen week), thousands of people do their bit to make life together better for Germans and foreigners. In 1995 the rallying call was “Together for justice”. This week of good works is prompted by the churches. It is also supported at the local community level by trade unions, the communes, foreigners' associations and grass-roots initiatives. The Special Rapporteur attended the opening of foreign fellow-countrymen week at an ecumenical service in Berlin Cathedral on Saturday, 23 September 1995.