German satirist ‘El Hotzo' acquitted over Trump attempted assassination comments
Shortly after the July 2024 shooting, which left Trump with a minor ear injury during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania, Hotz posted on X: 'Sadly, just missed (the bullet)" comparing the failed assassination to missing the last bus. 'Absolutely fantastic when fascists die," he added minutes later.
Both posts, which followed viral images of the then-presidential hopeful with a bloodied face and his fist raised to the sky, were deleted right afterwards.
But the backlash was immediate. Public broadcaster RBB terminated its collaboration with Hotz, and Berlin's public prosecutor charged him with condoning a criminal act, interpreting the comments as an endorsement of political violence and seeking a €6,000 fine.
On Wednesday, however, a Berlin court ruled Hotz's comments were "non-punishable satire" and protected under Germany's free speech laws.
The case highlights how German law protects satire, while still setting legal boundaries when it incites violence or infringes personal honour - with courts weighing intent and context.
Hotz has become a cult figure within Germany's leftist-alternative subculture, with nearly 740,000 followers on X and 1.2 million on Instagram. He rose to prominence with sharp memes and witty tweets that capture the cultural-political Zeitgeist of the so-called 'Bobo' (bourgeois bohemian) class.
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