German police conducted an early morning raid on the home of a 14-year-old boy in Bavaria on St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 6, after he allegedly posted the banned hashtag #AllesFürDeutschland (“Everything for Germany”) on TikTok.
The authorities claimed the phrase, associated with the SA during the Nazi era, is linked to an unconstitutional organization, violating Section 86a of the German criminal code. The boy reportedly used the hashtag twice in November on his TikTok channel, “deutscher.patriot1161.”
The raid, deemed “proportionate” and “appropriate for the seriousness of the crime” according to the search warrant, also targeted the boy’s older brother. Police confiscated a phone used to post the content, photographed personal items like documents and books, and questioned the brothers, neither of whom has a criminal record. The boy maintains he was unaware that the phrase was banned.
The incident highlights Germany’s strict laws on symbols and phrases tied to its Nazi past. The same slogan came under scrutiny when Björn Höcke, chairman of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Thuringia, was fined for using it at a party event. Critics argue the laws have broadened in scope, as police increasingly raid homes over speech-related offenses, including insults directed at politicians. Efforts by Germany’s political left aim to strengthen penalties and empower prosecutors to pursue such cases.
The family involved is reportedly considering legal action against the raid, which has drawn comparisons to heightened enforcement tactics in Germany’s evolving approach to speech regulation.
