Posted on 11/14/2024 5:40:54 AM PST by george76
Massive police repression in Germany as war against free speech and basic human rights ratchets up under left-liberal government..
After a 64-year-old pensioner retweeted a meme of Green Economy Minister Robert Habeck, in which Habeck was described as an “idiot,” Bavarian police raided the man’s house and arrested him. The crime has even been recorded as a “politically motivated right-wing crime.”
The man is accused of distributing a photo of Habeck via retweet, where Habeck is described as an “idiot.” The Bamberg prosecutor’s office indicates that this constitutes a federal criminal offense of “hatred.”
“At a time that cannot currently be specified in more detail in the days or weeks before June 20, 2024, the accused published an image file using the account that shows a portrait of Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck with the title ‘Schwachkopf PROFESSIONAL’, based on the advertising campaign of the Schwarzkopf company, in order to generally defame Robert Habeck and to make it more difficult for him to work as a member of the federal government,” read the prosecutor’s statement.
Schwachkopf generally means “idiot,” in German.
The rival Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has reposted the meme on X, writing in a statement:
“While Habeck presents himself as a ‘people-friendly’ candidate for chancellor, his critics are being relentlessly pursued. They do not shy away from conducting house searches on sleeping families just because the father of the family shared this Schwachkopf graphic. This is what would happen to Germany under a Chancellor Habeck: the complete restriction of freedom of expression by a children’s book author who displayed maximum incompetence for three and a half years, but still feels called to greater things,” wrote the AfD.
...
The person who was arrested told the NIUS news outlet that he could never have imagined “that it would come to this.” This has “definitely GDR flavor,” he said, referring to communist East Germany and its Stasi police force.
Nius also reports that “criminal police officers were deployed across Germany on Tuesday for the day of action against hate postings, warning social media users their homes would be searched and electronic devices confiscated. In over 90 investigations, more than 50 homes were searched, and there were 127 police actions in total.”
“When the police are at the door, every perpetrator realizes that hate crimes have consequences,” Interior Minister Faeser said on X.
...
Those who criticize the Green party in Bavaria have faced prosecution before. A businessman, Michael Much, put up posters mocking members of the federal government, including Habeck and then Green party leader Ricarda Lang. He also had his house searched and the posters confiscated. The prosecutor was defeated in court, which determined the posters were a legitimate form of freedom of expression.
Notably, last week, X owner Elon Musk called German Chancellor Olaf Scholz a “fool,” on his platform. In response, the federal government reacted that “on X, you have Narrenfreiheit.” The term refers to freedom to mock the king, typically reserved for a jester.
Scholz himself responded that it was “not very friendly,” saying that web companies are “not organs of state, so I did not even pay it any attention.”
Apparently, for those lower on the food chain, such insults result in a massive police raid. The man’s phones were seized and all his rooms were searched.
Users have been acting with incredulity on social media, with one writing: “First election campaign posters leaked,” which showed police breaking down a door.
They are really going after people in the UK.
Ah, they “Haff vays off making you talk...”
Hmmmm, seems to be reverting to that wonderful period of the late 30s there.
[retweeted a meme]
How horrific!
Couldn’t they have just stolen a nuclear weapon and done an air-burst 1500’ over his home?
I mean, that would be reasonable, too
“When the police are at the door, every perpetrator realizes that hate crimes have consequences,” Interior Minister Faeser said on X....
#### you faeser.
Every one of these countries that make Speech a Crime should havge an immediate Travel Ban and Full Sanctions, NO GOODS OR SERVICES IN OR OUT of those respective countries.
He should have converted to Islam first
Wow...its 1939 Germany all over again.
Maybe they ought to start burning books and making plans to invade Poland.
The soviets are already pushing east anyway....
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme”
> Apparently, for those lower on the food chain, such insults result in a massive police raid. <
Even if the case is dismissed, the process is the punishment. Same as in the United States when the FBI comes a’knocking.
This must have been East Germany.
“Hate”. They can’t even claim racism. They can’t even claim it was any kind of threat. They just claim “hate” anytime you criticize a politician....errr...one of THEIR politicians.
Sieg Heil! *clicks heels and raises right arm*
The Lefties would love to get away with doing this in my country. They can’t because we have what is called the 1st Amendment.
Hey, the police were only following orders.
/s
The EU’s link tax and meme bam were a preview of coming attractions...
Pity so few paid attention.
Re 30’s:
Yeah… they couldn’t shoot back back then, either.
In Germany? Where does this prosecutor think he is? It’s not the UK, or California, or Harvard.
They are, but I thought this was in Germany. I wonder if they are going back to the 1930s?
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