An almost unnoticed tweet on the social network X triggered a disproportionate police operation in Germany that has reignited the debate over state surveillance of online speech.
The message, posted by a citizen identified as Damian N., contained a brief criticism in which he described government-funded workers as "parasites." Despite having received barely a hundred views, the post led to police officers raiding his home at six in the morning, according to reports.
Damian reports that the officers did not show him a warrant nor did they leave documentation regarding the confiscated property. During the operation, he was pressured to unlock his phone, which was confiscated, and photographs, fingerprints, and other biometric data were taken from him.
Officers even requested a blood sample to obtain his DNA. One of the officers threatened him, saying he should "think more carefully about what he posts" and stated that from that moment on he would be under official surveillance.
The police action was based on Section 130 of the German Penal Code, a regulation intended to punish incitement to hatred against protected groups based on national origin, race, religion, or ethnicity.
However, public workers are not included in those categories, which has raised doubts about the legitimacy of the investigation. Damian's lawyer keeps that both the raid and the identification procedures may have been illegal.
