German police raid homes of 17 people accused of posting antisemitic hate speech on social media

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities have raided the homes of 17 people in the state of Bavaria accused of spreading antisemitic hate speech and threats targeting Jews online. According to the Bavarian criminal police, the suspects were 15 men and two women, aged between 18 and 62, German news agency dpa reported Tuesday. Police questioned the suspects and confiscated evidence from their homes, including cell phones and laptops, the agency said. The suspects are said to have celebrated Hamas’ attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, and were accused of spreading hate speech against Jewish people on social media. The police operation focused on Bavaria’s capital city of Munich where nine of the accused resided.