Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday condemned recent far-right violence in eastern Germany and called for stronger efforts to strengthen peaceful coexistence in Germany.

“Jews, Muslims belong to our society, just like Christians and atheists,” Merkel told lawmakers during a speech at the German parliament.

She denounced violence by far-right extremists in several eastern German cities in recent weeks, following reports of murder and other crimes allegedly perpetrated by foreigners.

“There can be no excuse or justification for tracking people down, using violence, chanting Nazi slogans and displaying hostility on people who look different,” she stressed.

Far-right groups organized various rallies in eastern cities of Chemnitz and Koethen in recent weeks, where mobs hunted down foreign-looking people on the streets and attacked restaurants owned by Jews or other migrants.