German authorities, in a coordinated effort, carried out over 180 police measures nationwide on Wednesday, targeting criminal hate postings. This operation entailed the coordination of more than 140 investigations, encompassing the implementation of over 65 search warrant decisions and the interrogation of numerous suspects, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).
The investigations covered a range of areas, with approximately two-thirds of the hate postings attributed to the category of “Politically motivated crime – right-wing”. The most common crimes included incitement to hatred, the use of symbols of unconstitutional organizations and insults. The measures took place in all federal states, with the press offices of regional police and justice authorities providing information on the individual actions.
The number of criminal hate postings has significantly increased in recent years, with the registered cases quadrupling from 2021 to 2024, according to the BKA, which also attributed this growth to the increasing illumination of the dark field.