Source: RMX.news
In what may be the most aggressive move against press freedom since the Second World War, Germany has banned Compact Magazine and had over 200 police officers raid the office and home of the publisher, Jürgen Elsässer, along with the homes of other employees and financial backers.
At 6:00 a.m., masked German police officers raided the home of Elsässer and confiscated hard drives and assets. The magazine has a large readership in Germany and a Youtube channel with millions of views and over 300,000 subscribers. The website and its social media channels have now been erased from the web.
Far-left German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser took to X to celebrate the banning of the publication, which she says she personally ordered.
“Today, I banned the right-wing extremist ‘COMPACT Magazine.’ It agitates in an unspeakable way against Jews, against Muslims and against our democracy. Our ban is a hard blow against the right-wing extremist scene,” she wrote.
While speaking about the incident, she stated: “We will not allow ethnic definitions of who belongs to Germany and who does not. Our constitutional state protects all those who are persecuted because of their faith, their origin, their skin color or their democratic stance.”
The press was informed ahead of time of the raid, and was on hand to photograph Elsässer in his night robe while he was surrounded by masked police officers. In addition, his video production company, Conspect Film GmbH was also banned.
It also marked the first time a media outlet of this size has been targeted in such an extraordinary manner,
Alternative for Germany (AfD) co-leaders, Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla issued a joint statement on X, writing:
“The ban on Compact magazine is a serious blow to press freedom. We are watching these events with great concern. Banning a press organ means denying discourse and diversity of opinion. A ban is always the most far-reaching step. Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser is abusing her powers to suppress critical reporting. We call on the minister to respect press freedom.”
Alice #Weidel/Tino #Chrupalla: Das Verbot des #Compact-Magazins ist ein schwerer Schlag gegen die #Pressefreiheit
Bundesinnenministerin Nancy #Faeser hat das Compact-Magazin sowie die Conspect Film GmbH verboten. #AfD-Bundessprecher Tino Chrupalla und Dr. Alice Weidel äußert… pic.twitter.com/0Enl8z6n9x
— AfD (@AfD) July 16, 2024
According to Germany’s Welt, the ban came about because Compact allegedly violated the constitutional order in a “combative and aggressive manner.”
The private homes of various employees were also raided in Brandenburg, Hesse, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, including the home of Elsässer in Falkensee near Berlin. In addition, financial backers of the outlet also had their properties raided and digital and personal assets confiscated.
The Nöbeditz manor of former AfD politician André Poggenburg in Stößen near Naumburg was also reportedly raided.
What is Compact Magazine?
Compact has described itself as a “magazine for sovereignty.” As Welt notes, on the magazine’s website, which has now been deleted from the web, along with its social media channels, it wrote that “It does not prescribe a political line, but rather an attitude: That is walking upright, that is the spirit of freedom and pride in our history.”
Welt, which is a mouthpiece of the rival Christian Democrats party, clearly is against the magazine, writing: “What the editors meant by this could be seen on the front pages. Compact presented its readers with doomsday scenarios and racism, conspiracy theories and agitation against politicians from the hated ‘old parties’ — and as a way out of all this misery: the AfD.”
“Compact specifically addressed right-wing extremists, conspiracy theorists and opponents of democracy with well-known narratives: of the ‘lying press’ and ‘high finance,’ of ‘corrupt politicians’ and ‘powerful puppet masters in the background’ who were deceiving them.”
However, Welt does not note how any of this is illegal or even factually incorrect, as high finance exists, there are corrupt politicians, and in the background, there are powerful people who call the shots in many different scenarios. Calling them “puppet masters” may be a theatrical take, and some may take the phrase “lying press” as a harsh term to use against journalists, but the fact that many journalists have lied or distorted the truth has been proven to be correct on many occasions.
It is hard to address many of these allegations, as the entire website has been erased from the web….