German court voids conviction of man who used crossed-out swastikas
Kamm was fined 3,600 euros for using symbols on stickers, buttons, and T-shirts to protest far-rightism.
By DPAA German appeals court Thursday threw out the conviction of a trader for distributing goods with crossed-out swastikas on them.
Thirty-two-year-old Juergen Kamm was fined 3,600 euros last year for using crossed-out swastikas in stickers, buttons and T-shirts to protest far-right extremism.
The lower court in Stuttgart convicted Kamm of violating laws prohibiting the reproduction of Nazi symbols or slogans, even though his actions were a protest against right-wing extremists.
The Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe ruled that it was not a criminal offence to display symbols that are "obviously and clearly" meant to demonstrate opposition to Nazism.
The appeals court said it was clear that the articles distributed by Kamm in his online shop "Nix Gut" were against the Nazi ideology.
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Really? They needed a court to decide that a symbol inside a red circle with a slanted line across it doesn't actually mean that one endorses the symbol? At least, in the end, they figured it out. I appreciate the hard work that the German people have done to get beyond the madness of their past. The honesty displayed by the Germans in facing up to their past is rare. Compare their behavior to that of: The Japanese who won't admit to sexual slavery of Korean women in WWII; Turkey's continued denial of the Armenian genocide early 1900's; The Arab nations refusal to face up to their responsibility in the Palestinian refugee debacle of '48, etc. The list goes on. The German's proceeded very quickly after WWII to do what they could to squash those who would deny history. However, at this point, I think a "no-nazi" symbol is not indicative of a problem. Rather, it seems appropriate part of a solution.
Using crossed-out swastikas to demonstrate placative against them and Nazis is pretty idiotic (if money plays no role here). I can't see how this would work one way for the good. As a German I'm used to weird actions, but this one calls for a stronger conviction before somebody else tries to sell suicide bombers` explosives belts in order to fight Palestinian terror ideologies.
We are not in Latin America (as described by Kai Ambos).