The municipality of Gifhorn - Legal action ensues following extreme right-wing slogans.
Another round of criminal investigations has started in Lower Saxony due to the singing of a racist lyrics to the tune of "L'amour toujours," a popular party song, leading to suspicions of inciting hatred. Two instances were reported on Friday and Saturday evenings in the Gifhorn district, according to law enforcement.
In the first incident, which took place on Friday evening during the shooting festival in Isenbüttel, a 39-year-old woman claimed that a group of around ten young people started singing "Ausländer raus" as she and her family were leaving. One of them also displayed an AfD (Alternative for Germany) campaign poster towards a member of her family. Despite officers being present at the scene, they couldn't locate the group again. The police are now looking for witnesses.
In Meine, around a few hours later, on the early morning of Saturday, two groups were singing "Ausländer raus," and a third group joined in. Upon hearing this, the police officers in the area quickly intervened to stop the singing. Authorities have since launched a legal case against nine individuals aged 16 to 44 in connection with this incident.
The authorities in Lower Saxony have been keeping track of 28 instances since May 28 where "L'amour toujours" has been sung with racist lyrics. People are currently upset about a video showing patrons at a bar on Sylt, a North Sea island, singing "Ausländer raus" and "Deutschland den Deutschen," also to the tune of "L'amour toujours" by Gigi D'Agostino.
The practice of rewriting the original song with racist lyrics is not new information for the Lower Saxony Criminal Investigation Department, as they have acknowledged it before. It's believed that social media has significantly contributed to the spread of these lyrics. The department is currently assessing whether these acts should be considered incitement to hatred legally. The decision usually depends on whether the chanting resulted in hatred or violence.
If found guilty of inciting hatred, penalties could range from three months to five years in prison. Additionally, spreading racist language on social media could potentially lead to charges if the context calls for it. Violations of personal rights could also become an issue in such cases.
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- Despite the ongoing shooting festival in Gifhorn's Isenbüttel district, criminal proceedings were initiated following a woman's claim of extreme right-wing slogans, including the chant of "Ausländer raus," which was sung by a group of young people and accompanied by the display of an AfD campaign poster.
- The woman's incident added to the 28 instances reported in Lower Saxony since May 28, where the popular song "L'amour toujours" has been rewritten with racist lyrics, such as "Ausländer raus" and "Deutschland den Deutschen."
- The woman's complaint resulted in legal action being taken against nine individuals aged 16 to 44 in connection with their involvement in the singing of "Ausländer raus" during the incident in Meine, which took place a few hours after the incident in Isenbüttel.
- The police in the Gifhorn district are actively seeking witnesses to aid in their investigation of the first incident that occurred during the shooting festival, where the extreme right-wing slogan was sung as a family was leaving.
- In the aftermath of these incidents, concerns about extremism have heightened in the district of Gifhorn, as the AfD party has continued to gain popularity in Lower Saxony, resulting in a potential rise in hate speech and intolerant behavior.
