GETTY A German official described the exercise as

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The training, which took place in the German North Rhine-Westphalia province was designed to prepare troops as part of the EU’s Lowlands Gendarmerie programme. Breitbart London reported that the exercise was attended by 600 members of various European police and military forces, in a bid to prepare the united troops of the European Gendarmerie Force. The military police group is made up of seven European nations, including Spain, Romania, Poland and Germany, and aims to quell post conflict scenarios within EU member states.

GETTY The Gendarmerie is made of military police from various nations including France (pictured)

The group’s website reported that: “The aim of the [2016, April 15th] Comprehensive Live Exercise will be capacity building of police and gendarmes who will participate in international stabilisation missions and projects with a police component.” It went on to describe the exercises carried out, including “carousel training, with attention being given to all policing skills, including community policing and social patrols, crowd and riot control, SWAT teams and forensic investigation”. European affairs spokesman for the German Government Andrej Huko asked to attend, but was blocked from coming close to the site.

GETTY The training exercised was funded by the EU

He claimed that the military force was preparing to shut down “political meetings” and “protests”. He went on to argue that the, “militarisation of the police” is, “extremely worrying and contrary in Germany to the principle of separation of police and military”. It comes as fears rise that the European Union could form its own army, with one ex-commander of British troops in Afghanistan claiming it could undermine NATO and UK defences.

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