Left Party MP expelled from German parliament for wearing Palestine t-shirt
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So you wouldnt want AfD representatives removed if they wore Ye shirts with "indian peace symbols"? This is simply enforcing the rules, theres no deep conspiracy or fascism behind it.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Are you seriously equating a swastika to the word "Palestine"???!
Also the whole "it's the rules" justifying anti-Democratic actions is quite an old tradition in Germany that was used heavilly during a dark, dark part of German history, so one would expect extra alarm about "rules" there for things like silencing politicians in Parliament, rather than claiming "it's the rules" - just like they did in the "good old days" - to justify anti-Democratic measures.
If you are German, your entire take on the whole subject of making an equivalence between the word "Palestine" and a swastika and an "appeal to the rules" to justify silencing politicians just like in Germany's "good old days", just emphasises my point about the alarming slide towards authoritarianism and authoritarian thinking in Germany.
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Considering Germany's strict antisemitism laws and the fact that Palestine has repeatedly called for the extermination of all Jews, this can't really be that surprising.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Sure, but in this case that has nothing to do with that. In the past a politician was removed for wearing a t-shirts that was protesting a train station. Political statements on clothing are just not allowed in general.
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Left Party MP Cansin Köktürk was thrown out of a German parliament plenary chamber on Wednesday for wearing a t-shirt with the word "Palestine" printed on it, a move deemed a political statement by the parliamentary leadership.
Bundestag President Julia Klöckner intervened during the session, reminding MPs that political messages on clothing are not permitted in the chamber.
While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress "in keeping with the prestige" of the institution. Enforcement of this standard is left to the discretion of the session chair.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress “in keeping with the prestige” of the institution.
So, there is no actual rule that she actually broke, unless we interpret the word "Palestine" to be not in keeping with the prestige of the Budestag. Are other country names or geographical regions also not in keeping with the prestige of the Bundestag? Like, when I visit can I not wear a shirt that says "Greece" on it? Or that says "Quebec" or "Antarctica"? Or is this is a special rule for country names that butthurt Germany's "staatsraison"?
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Sure, but in this case that has nothing to do with that. In the past a politician was removed for wearing a t-shirts that was protesting a train station. Political statements on clothing are just not allowed in general.
"Palestine" is a political statement? I thought it was a geographical region. I mean "Free Palestine" yes. But just the word "Palestine" on its own?
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"Palestine" is a political statement? I thought it was a geographical region. I mean "Free Palestine" yes. But just the word "Palestine" on its own?
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Yeah, for everyone that can put 2 and 2 together it is.
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Palestine has repeatedly called for the extermination of all Jews
I can make shit up too, check it out: "giraffes are purple"
My bullshit at least is not enabling genocide.
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Yeah, for everyone that can put 2 and 2 together it is.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]In the same way that protesting with a blank sheet of paper in Russia is politically dangerous and illegal.
It's only political to the extent that it exposes German hypocrisy.
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Hamas is not Palestine and the ADL is a genocide enabling organization that harbours deep anti-Palestinian racism. Got any better arguments to support your bigoted writings?
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In the same way that protesting with a blank sheet of paper in Russia is politically dangerous and illegal.
It's only political to the extent that it exposes German hypocrisy.
Nope, it's just the dresscode being enforced as it always has been.
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Nope, it's just the dresscode being enforced as it always has been.
While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress “in keeping with the prestige” of the institution.
So, there is no actual rule that she actually broke, unless we interpret the word “Palestine” to be not in keeping with the prestige of the Budestag. Are other country names or geographical regions also not in keeping with the prestige of the Bundestag? Like, when I visit can I not wear a shirt that says “Greece” on it? Or that says “Quebec” or “Antarctica”? Or is this is a special rule for country names that butthurt Germany’s “staatsraison”?
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While the Bundestag does not have a detailed dress code, its rules require MPs and visitors to dress “in keeping with the prestige” of the institution.
So, there is no actual rule that she actually broke, unless we interpret the word “Palestine” to be not in keeping with the prestige of the Budestag. Are other country names or geographical regions also not in keeping with the prestige of the Bundestag? Like, when I visit can I not wear a shirt that says “Greece” on it? Or that says “Quebec” or “Antarctica”? Or is this is a special rule for country names that butthurt Germany’s “staatsraison”?
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Enforcement of this standard is left to the discretion of the session chair.
The decision here is totally in line with how it was enforced in the past, unrelated to Palestine.
Are other country names or geographical regions also not in keeping with the prestige of the Bundestag?
Come one, you know you're just feigning igorance here.
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My assumption is based on two years of German authorities and institutions cracking down on pro-Palestinian voices. Somehow, each time there is some specific rule or sub-rule that is being invoked, but somehow it always ends up being a silencing of pro-Palestinian protest, activism, speech.
Why I would assume the worst of German institutions when it comes to pro-Palestinian stances? Here is the fuck why:
- https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country-chapters/germany
- https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/germany-palestine-protest/
- https://www.humanrightsresearch.org/post/crackdown-on-pro-palestinian-voices-in-germany-a-disturbing-pattern
- https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4362806-germanys-unprecedented-crackdown-on-pro-palestinian-speech/
- https://globalvoices.org/2024/04/18/inside-germanys-orwellian-crackdown-on-palestine-congress/
- https://zeteo.com/p/germany-crackdown-pro-palestine-speech-sign-holocaust-gaza
- https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/11/8/why-is-germany-supporting-israels-genocide-in-gaza
- https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/germany-palestine-activists-deportation-state-repression
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/dec/18/hannah-arendt-prize-masha-gessen-israel-gaza-essay
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/03/germany-deporting-pro-palestine-eu-citizens-chilling-new-step
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/mar/25/free-speech-is-a-facade-how-gaza-war-has-deepened-divisions-in-german-arts-world
- https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/feb/11/denouncing-critics-of-israel-as-un-jews-or-antisemites-is-a-perversion-of-history
- https://apnews.com/article/israel-gaza-nicaragua-germany-genocide-court-91a605921b44110ae5534e6438405997
- https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/03/11/bpig-m11.html
I have simply lost faith in German institutions on this matter.
To return to you the question: why would I NOT assume that German institutions would find some way to ratfuck with pro-Palestinian voices? On what exactly can I build a set of good faith assumptions on German benevolence on the matter? Because I see fucking nothing.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]why would I NOT assume that German institutions would find some way to ratfuck with pro-Palestinian voices?
I disagree with that generality, but I grant you the point, it's a valid assumption to make.
However:
Nothing about what you said supports the assumption that people with Ukraine T-shirts wouldn't get booted. They would be.
Overall this is a not exactly uncommon thing in the Bundestag: Break the rules to get thrown out to put the spotlight on something. In fact, without the "getting thrown out" part it wouldn't make sense to wear clothing with political meaning in the first place, as everyone would be doing it, and everyone would ignore it.
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Enforcement of this standard is left to the discretion of the session chair.
The decision here is totally in line with how it was enforced in the past, unrelated to Palestine.
Are other country names or geographical regions also not in keeping with the prestige of the Bundestag?
Come one, you know you're just feigning igorance here.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]You're missing the point, I'm not feigning ignorance, I'm challenging the hypocrisy.
German politics have become so fucking toxic to pro-Palestinian advocacy that merely the mention of the word Palestine is considered a breach of decorum. The shirt did not say "Free Palestine", a clearly political message, it merely said the name of the country. Do you not see that when the mere mention of Palestine is considered political you have crossed into extremely problematic territory? Do you not see that the symbolic erasure of the mere mention of Palestine as an entity that can be mentioned without controversy, is a kind of affirmation of the policy of erasure of an entire people, precisely at the moment when a genocide is happening? Do you not see why this is such an infuriating betrayal of what so many of us saw as a model democracy? I fucking love Germany, which is why it so fucking hurtful to see this.
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In Germany (because of ours history) only fascists (and clueless normies during sport events) think the German flag is something you'd consider associating yourself with. If you're only a tiny bit left leaning it's yucky af even thinking about e. g. wearing a t-shirt with a German flag. Ew.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Pins are quite common with conservative politicians, and I'd say they're subdued enough.
Have, for example, Daniel Günther with the SH coat of arms. I mean he's prime minister, why not.
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why would I NOT assume that German institutions would find some way to ratfuck with pro-Palestinian voices?
I disagree with that generality, but I grant you the point, it's a valid assumption to make.
However:
Nothing about what you said supports the assumption that people with Ukraine T-shirts wouldn't get booted. They would be.
Overall this is a not exactly uncommon thing in the Bundestag: Break the rules to get thrown out to put the spotlight on something. In fact, without the "getting thrown out" part it wouldn't make sense to wear clothing with political meaning in the first place, as everyone would be doing it, and everyone would ignore it.
If Die Linke had any sense of political theatrics, if they had just a bit of Melenchon in their blood, they would all show up with TShirts of random countries, see what the fuck happens.
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You're missing the point, I'm not feigning ignorance, I'm challenging the hypocrisy.
German politics have become so fucking toxic to pro-Palestinian advocacy that merely the mention of the word Palestine is considered a breach of decorum. The shirt did not say "Free Palestine", a clearly political message, it merely said the name of the country. Do you not see that when the mere mention of Palestine is considered political you have crossed into extremely problematic territory? Do you not see that the symbolic erasure of the mere mention of Palestine as an entity that can be mentioned without controversy, is a kind of affirmation of the policy of erasure of an entire people, precisely at the moment when a genocide is happening? Do you not see why this is such an infuriating betrayal of what so many of us saw as a model democracy? I fucking love Germany, which is why it so fucking hurtful to see this.
wrote on last edited by [email protected]I’m challenging the hypocrisy.
And I'm telling you there is none.
Other members have been exeplled over simply wearing a hat or not wearing a tie in the past.
Do you not see that when the mere mention of Palestine is considered political you have crossed into extremely problematic territory? Do you not see that the symbolic erasure of the mere mention of Palestine as an entity that can be mentioned without controversy, is a kind of affirmation of the policy of erasure of an entire people?
No, because that's not what's happening.
Do you not see why this is such an infuriating betrayal of what so many of us saw as a model democracy?
No, I don't.
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Hamas is not Palestine and the ADL is a genocide enabling organization that harbours deep anti-Palestinian racism. Got any better arguments to support your bigoted writings?
Lmao, Jesus Christ. I can lead a horse to water, but I can't make it drink.
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Honestly, when I pass a place that has a German flag on a flag pole in front of the house, I don't assume it is a far right person living there. I don't know where you live but maybe in certain regions, flag poles are a bit more common than in others and hence, more German flags can be seen there.
you sure bet i assume a far right person is living there.
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The flag that stands for a democratic Germany is something only fascists associate with? Interesting take I've gotta say...
wrote on last edited by [email protected]Things have shifted in the last what 20 years: Back then no Nazi would ever be caught dead with a "black-red-mustard" flag, Nazi flags are outlawed so they were using imperial flags (black-white-red). Changed with the "Monday demonstrations", and the Nazis, while infiltrating the AfD, adopting less overt symbolism. "Nono we're not the Nazis don't you see those boneheads there marching with the imperial flag those are Nazis".
As far as use by non-fascists is concerned, it's still generally limited to the extreme right (think Burschenschaften), or the world cup. Which, btw, was started by Turks: Dunno remember which but Turkey made it into the group stage at some point, lots of Germans with Turkish descent turned the balconies red, then Turkey got kicked out, and all of them, without batting an eye, switched to flying black-red-gold.
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I’m challenging the hypocrisy.
And I'm telling you there is none.
Other members have been exeplled over simply wearing a hat or not wearing a tie in the past.
Do you not see that when the mere mention of Palestine is considered political you have crossed into extremely problematic territory? Do you not see that the symbolic erasure of the mere mention of Palestine as an entity that can be mentioned without controversy, is a kind of affirmation of the policy of erasure of an entire people?
No, because that's not what's happening.
Do you not see why this is such an infuriating betrayal of what so many of us saw as a model democracy?
No, I don't.
Do you not see why this is such an infuriating betrayal of what so many of us saw as a model democracy?
No.
Can't make you see what you refuse to see I guess.
This is incredibly sad.
