Orwellian "Day of Action" as German Police Raid Homes Over "Hate Speech"

Despite soaring violent crime rates linked to mass immigration, German authorities intensify enforcement of strict speech laws.

On June 25, 2025, German police launched a large-scale operation early in the morning, conducting nationwide house raids against 170 individuals suspected of violating new speech laws by insulting politicians or spreading hate speech and incitement online.

The raids, coordinated by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), involved the seizure of computers, cell phones, and tablets across multiple locations. This crackdown is based on the recently introduced Paragraph 188 of the German Criminal Code, targeting racism and hate speech.

North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul, whose state has experienced a sharp rise in violent and knife crimes—often linked to foreign nationals—praised the raids. He emphasized that those spreading so-called digital hate must not remain anonymous behind their devices. His state alone accounted for 14 of the approximately 130 cases nationwide during this “day of action” against hate postings.

These Nazi-like “days of action” are now routine in Germany, often sparking controversy and public outcry. A notable case involved pensioner Stefan Niehoff, whose home was raided after he called former Economic Minister Robert Habeck an “idiot.” Though the original charge was dropped, Niehoff was later convicted over retweets that were ironically anti-Nazi but critical of left-wing politicians. Another example involved a person who described CDU leader Friedrich Merz as “drunken.”

In one striking example from last year, a 14-year-old boy had his home raided after posting a banned nationalist hashtag on TikTok. This illustrates how aggressively German authorities are enforcing these laws, raising concerns about freedom of expression and proportionality.

Germany has a troubling history when it comes to free speech:

• The Nazi regime in Germany (1933–1945) eliminated free speech by outlawing opposition parties, shutting down independent newspapers, and controlling all media through the Ministry of Propaganda, led by Joseph Goebbels.

• Nazis arrested, imprisoned, or executed individuals who spoke out against the government, including journalists, writers, artists, and ordinary citizens, using laws like the Reichstag Fire Decree and the Enabling Act to justify severe censorship and suppression.

• Public criticism of Nazi policies or leaders was considered treasonous; dissent was reported by informants and often resulted in punishment ranging from job loss to imprisonment in concentration camps.

Details about the individuals targeted in the latest raids remain unclear. While most cases reportedly involve right-wing extremist statements, some cases concern extremist religious or left-wing content. Alternative for Germany co-leader Alice Weidel has lodged multiple complaints related to hate speech, though there are no reports linking her complaints directly to recent raids.

Interior Minister Reul claimed there is a difference between “free opinion and hate speech, stating that behavior unacceptable offline should also not be tolerated online. However, last year’s raids on Compact Magazine journalists and the magazine’s subsequent ban were ruled unconstitutional by a top federal court as violations of press freedom.

The current raids heavily rely on reports from centers affiliated with left-leaning organizations that monitor online content. Such centers report suspicious posts to federal authorities for action. The number of reported cases has surged to over 10,700 in 2024, four times the number in 2021.

The raids come amid a growing public safety crisis in Germany. While police operations against hate speech have increased dramatically over recent years, violent crime in Germany has simultaneously reached record highs, largely attributed to mass immigration. Police resources appear increasingly focused on policing speech violations, including criticisms related to crime and immigration. This has affected not only ordinary citizens but also politicians such as Marie-Thérèse Kaiser from the Alternative for Germany (AfD), who have been targeted under these laws.