- West phal ia ▁say ▁there ▁are ▁about ▁ 1 , 8 0 0 ▁Sal af ists ▁in ▁the ▁state , ▁of ▁whom ▁ 1 0 ▁percent ▁are ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁violent ▁extrem ists . ▁Justice ▁Minister , ▁He iko ▁Ma as , ▁told ▁Bild ▁that ▁" the ▁state ▁alone " ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁justice ▁in ▁Germany , ▁and ▁any ▁illegal ▁parallel ▁system ▁of ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁would ▁not ▁be ▁toler ated . ▁ ▁The ▁ 3 3 - year - old ▁behind ▁the ▁W upp ert al ▁pat rol s , ▁former ▁fire man ▁and ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁leaders ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Sal af ist ▁movement ▁S ven ▁Lau , ▁published ▁a ▁video ▁on ▁his ▁website , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁men ▁involved ▁had ▁simply ▁worn ▁mock ▁uniform s ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁hours ▁and ▁that ▁" Sh aria ▁police " ▁never ▁existed . ▁" We ▁knew ▁that ▁this ▁would ▁raise ▁attention ," ▁Lau ▁said , ▁claim ing ▁that ▁his ▁goal ▁was ▁to ▁spark ▁a ▁debate ▁about ▁Sh aria ▁law ▁in ▁Germany . ▁ ▁E ight ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁pat rol s ▁were ▁later ▁pro sec uted ▁under ▁a ▁law ▁that ▁b ans ▁we aring ▁uniform s ▁to ▁convey ▁a ▁common ▁political ▁conv iction . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁the ▁court ▁ruled ▁that ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁" sh aria ▁police " ▁was ▁legal ▁under ▁Germany ' s ▁free ▁speech ▁laws ▁and ▁that ▁their ▁orange ▁v ests ▁were ▁not ▁" s ug