The SPD removes an Instagram post referring to the Sylt racism controversy.
With good intentions, but not quite executed well, the SPD posted on Instagram about the racist chants on Sylt. Many people expressed their disappointment, leading the party to ultimately remove the insensitive message.
In an attempt to speak out against the hateful slogans heard on Sylt, the SPD published a post under a banner of black, red, and gold colors. The party initially wrote on Instagram: "Germany for the Germans who defend our democracy." However, the post was removed after receiving a large number of negative responses. On Friday, a party representative confirmed the content of the message, which could no longer be retrieved.
In a story, the party later explained: "We just published a post condemning, in the strongest terms possible, the actions we witnessed in a video from Sylt. We failed to find a tone that would resonate with everyone. We sincerely apologize for this. Our goal is to make it clear that we do not want to leave this country to far-right extremists and hate mongers."
Investigation underway
A video from the island of Sylt gained national recognition on Friday, sparking widespread anger. The clip portrays apparently well-off young people singing "Germany for the Germans - foreigners out!" to the Italo dance classic "L'amour toujours" by Gigi D'Agostino in front of a restaurant by the North Sea. The restaurant itself distanced itself from the incident and stated it would take legal action. The state security department of the police is currently investigating the incident. One of the young women in the video, who works for an influencer, has since been let go by the influencer.
Similar instances have been occurring in recent months involving the 23-year-old song, particularly on TikTok. In March, the music publisher ZYX from Merenberg, which owns the rights to the song, filed charges against unknown individuals for misusing the track for racist propaganda.
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The SPD's Instagram post, criticized for its tone, linked the party with right-wing extremism and racism, mentioned in their message about defending democracy being for "Germans only." Following public backlash, the SPD acknowledged their misstep and removed the post.
In response to the Sylt incident, where party supporters were seen promoting racism, SPD leaders condemned the actions and distanced themselves from such views, emphasizing their commitment to countering right-wing extremism on social networks like Instagram.
Source: www.ntv.de
