Europe-wide joint action day against hate speech
On 3 November 2020, Europol’s European Counter Terrorism Centre on the initiative of Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office coordinated a Europe-wide joint action day to target racist and xenophobic hate speech on the internet. The first of its kind operation, led by Germany, took place in Czechia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Norway, Spain and the United Kingdom.
On the action day law enforcement authorities raided 97 locations and interrogated a number of individuals in relation to offences such as dissemination of racist and xenophobic hate speech, calls to violence and incitement to commit offences.
The law enforcement measures were aimed at identifying the perpetrators of offences directed at a person, a group of persons or an institution because of his/her/their alleged or actual political attitude, views and/or commitment, and/or are committed because the offender is motivated by prejudices referring to nationality, ethnic origin, skin colour, religion, ideology, social status, physical and/or mental disability or impairment, gender/sexual identity, sexual orientation or physical appearance.
The coordinated action targeted communities and individuals spreading hate via the internet using different types of content such as posts, comments, and memes which are sometimes indication of possible radicalization or an early warning sign of an act of violence, in particular future terrorist attack
More information on: https://www.bka.de/DE/Presse/Listenseite_Pressemitteilungen/2020/Presse2020/201103_Hasspostings.html
https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/stopping-hate-speech-online-europol-coordinates-first-europe-wide-action-day