German police carry out raids against people suspected of posting misogynistic hate speech online

BERLIN (AP) — German authorities have carried out raids across Germany against people suspected of posting misogynistic hate speech online. Police raided homes and interrogated 45 suspects in 11 states early on Thursday morning. German news agency dpa reported that none of the suspects were detained. The raids were part of the annual “combating misogyny on the internet” day of action, which began in 2022 and comes one day before International’s Women’s Day. Online posts that can be considered illegal in Germany include those in which women are slandered and insulted in a sexualized manner or publicly encouraged to send nude photos. The authorities also flagged posts in which rape or sexual assault were advocated.