Take: Nietzard's Stunt was Stupid, Still, Kloeckner's Reaction is Worse
- by Kerstin Herrnkind
- 4 Min
Kloekner's Letter, Not Nietzard's ACAB Hoodie, Sparks Controversy - Klöckner's correspondence, rather than the ACAB hoodie, is the focus here.
There's no argument that Jette Nietzard, the Green Youth's spokeswoman, has made a name for herself by spewing a bunch of nonsense. A few days back, she posted a pic of herself online wearing a hoodie bearing the acronym "ACAB." In Germany's left-wing scene, this translates to "All Cops are Bastards" - "All cops are scum." After the backlash, Nietzard backtracked, stating that not all cops are scum, but she bleeding despises the system behind the law enforcement. She spoke of "Lorenz," who met his end recently via police gunfire in Oldenburg, and how folks with migration backgrounds and/or dark skin live in fear when they see a police car.
The Greens received a letter from Bundestag President Julia Kloeckner (CDU.) They've given Nietzard a pass for the Bundestag, although she isn't an MP. If Nietzard enters the Bundestag wearing this hoodie, it would violate the house rules, Kloeckner warned. The police officers there might feel upset. In the worst-case scenario, Nietzard could face a ban.
Dumb, Wrong, and Populist from Nietzard
The fact that Nietzard put up the acronym is dumb, the statement is bogus, and it's populist. She doesn't need to apologize, as demanded. In a open democratic society, people can talk nonsense, that's part of the game. Kloeckner's response is excessive. And it highlights a dark side of the Union: they fancy reprimanding people, even though they themselves sometimes talk nonsense.
Before the Bundestag election, Friedrich Merz (CDU) spoke of "green and left-wing cranks" and said he wanted to make politics for people who "still have all their marbles." Compared to that, an ACAB hoodie seems almost harmless. Also unforgettable is his wife Charlotte, who clobbered the ZDF reporter Lutz van der Horst's microphone because he dared to ask a bold question about the leading culture.
Friedrich Merz also voted against making marital rape a criminal offense in 1997. He wanted an opt-out clause that would've allowed women to prevent prosecution. That this would've been a loophole for rapists to put pressure on their victims, he apparently missed. Meanwhile, Merz has begrudgingly acknowledged that he was mistaken.
Julia Kloeckner recently attempted to gag the churches. They should refrain from making political statements. That isn't the churches' role. Apparently, Kloeckner had forgotten for a moment that, in this country, everyone has the freedom to express their opinion in word, writing, and image - as long as no crime is committed.
ACAB inscription is not a crime
This isn't the case with the acronym "ACAB." "The public display of the letter combination 'ACAB' is not necessarily punishable under the freedom of expression," the Constitutional Court decided in 2016 in the case of a football fan who wore black pants with the inscription "ACAB" - the inscription adorned his posterior. The inscription, the Constitutional Court said, could also be read as a form of system criticism.
There's indeed a lot to criticize about the German law enforcement. It's true that police brutality is not adequately addressed in Germany. There are no independent investigative commissions. This isn't just the opinion of "left-wing extremists", but has been critiqued by the human rights commissioners of the EU since 1996, for almost 30 years.
To support their criticism of the police, some have spoken of "Lorenz," referring to the 21-year-old Lorenz A., who met his end recently at the hands of police in Oldenburg - from behind. Of course, we must scrutinize if investigations are thorough. The investigation is still underway, and it's unclear if Lorenz A. sprayed pepper spray at the officers. Whether the officer couldn't see and shot in panic, and whether this was allowed or should be tried in court, remains to be seen. It's strange that the officers' bodycams were turned off, but it's too early to judge this tragic incident.
It's also true that people perceived as "foreign" are controlled by the police about twice as often as others. This isn't just a claim by "left-wing extremists," but the result of serious studies. There have been and continue to be shocking cases. Currently, at least 400 police officers are under investigation for suspected right-wing extremism. A recent study found that in Hamburg, nearly every fourth police officer is politically right, if not far-right.
ACAB paints everyone with the same brush
However, there's no need to "hate" the "law enforcement system" as Nietzard does. Germany boasts around 330,550 police officers. "ACAB" styles everyone as one, including those who tirelessly do their job - and that's most of them. Despite justified criticism, the German police ranks among the best in the world. According to Amnesty International, in the USA, especially African Americans are frequent victims of deadly police violence. In Nigeria, police arbitrarily arrest, torture, and murder people. This shouldn't be our standard. But there are also allegations of torture against the Spanish, Italian, and French police in Europe.
So, Nietzard's hoodie should find its way to the charity shop, she needs to visit police stations, observe the cops' job, and chat with the officers. Only then will she become a politician people take seriously. And more importantly, one who takes people genuinely seriously.
- Julia Klöckner
- Friedrich Merz
- Police
- Lorenz A.
- Oldenburg
- CDU
Insights Integrated:
- In a democratic society, freedom of expression is a cornerstone (Enrichment Data: argument that Kloeckner potentially limits Nietzard's freedom of expression)
- The use of the ACAB slogan is associated with broader social movements critical of issues within law enforcement (Enrichment Data: contextual information about the use of ACAB slogan in social movements)
- There have been concerns about police brutality and alleged right-wing extremism within the German police (Enrichment Data: facts about police brutality and right-wing extremism in German police)
- Police in other countries, such as the USA, Nigeria, Spain, Italy, and France, are also under investigation for allegations of torture and excessive violence (Enrichment Data: facts about police brutality in other countries)
- The Commission, in its role as a governing body, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in the context of policy-and-legislation and general news, considering the recent events and debates on police brutality and the controversial actions of politicians like Friedrich Merz and Julia Kloeckner.
- The ongoing debates about police brutality and the response of politicians, such as Julia Kloeckner's attempt to gag the churches and Friedrich Merz's controversial past actions and statements, fall under the category of crime-and-justice, as they involve issues of accountability, human rights, and the boundary between freedom of speech and offensive or harmful expressions.
