Alan MacLeod
In December,
Potter, a self-styled counter-extremism expert, published a lengthy exposé in
The Jerusalem Post, claiming that red. media, MintPress News, and The Grayzone
were part of a network of far-left outlets promoting extremism and anti-Semitic
conspiracy theories.
Worse still, he
strongly insinuated that all three were promoted and funded by the governments
of Russia, Syria, and Iran.
The charges are
false (see MintPress’ rebuttal here), and are particularly ironic, coming as
they do from a journalist who is funded by the German Foreign Office. One who,
amid a genocide, moved to Israel to work for an outlet headed by a former
Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson.
Moreover,
Potter himself arguably holds extreme views on the subject. Just weeks after
attacking us for our journalism, he penned an article titled “Can Journalists
Be Terrorists,” which attempted to justify many of Israel’s killings of
Palestinian media workers.
Both red. and
MintPress immediately highlighted much of this important context, and our
content went viral.
FROM VIRAL
CRITICISM TO CRIMINAL CHARGES
A sticker about
Potter, based on a red. media graphic, was spotted in Berlin. The sticker took
the outlet’s criticism of him, and plastered the phrase, “The German
Hurensohn”–“The German Son of a Bitch” —
over the top. That sticker is the centerpiece of the prosecution’s
allegation of a coordinated “hate campaign” against Potter led by red. media.
Potter claims that he has suffered harassment and threats to his life, and some
have tried to link this back to red. media’s graphic.
The accusations
provoked a storm of articles in German media, all supportive of Potter. Many
echoed U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s claims that red. media is a
Russian government-controlled influence operation.
A red media post criticizing journalist Nicholas Potter left
appears as a modified sticker in Germany right Photo provided to MintPress
Dogru denies
these allegations, although he was previously a key part of Red Fish, a
platform financed by Ruptly, a Germany-based outlet partially funded by the
Russian state-controlled network, RT. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in
2022, Dogru closed Red Fish and started his own independent outlet. He insists
it has no connection to Russia and is dedicated to making revolutionary and
educational content. He also denies having any information or involvement in
producing anti-Potter stickers.
GERMANY
CRIMINALIZED PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY
Potter’s
support for Israeli policies has certainly drawn the ire of many in the
pro-Palestine movement in Germany. Yet he is far from alone. The German
government has offered its full support to Israel and has gone so far as to ban
pro-Palestine demonstrations and lock up countless activists, including Jewish
people. The phrase “From the River to the Sea” has effectively been
criminalized, with Berlin announcing that it would deny citizenship to anyone
using it. New German citizenship laws require all applicants to sign what is,
in effect, a loyalty oath to the State of Israel, declaring that it has a
“right to exist.”
Berlin is
currently deporting foreign residents for their participation in lawful
protests supporting Palestinian rights. Dogru worries about his family’s safety
as well:
“Given
that the German government is becoming increasingly repressive—especially in
its treatment of pro-Palestinian activists, some of whom are facing deportation
or threats thereof—we’re concerned that similar measures could be used against
us in the future, particularly against my wife and child.”
Commentators
have warned that, with these actions, Germany is lurching towards the
authoritarian right. With the far-right AfD Party surging in the polls (a
recent survey found they are now the most popular party in Germany), many
inside the country are ringing the alarm bells.
“For decades,
Germany has stuck with Israel and its narratives in the Middle East,” Dogru
told MintPress, adding:
“Since
October 7, we see that the German government is violently repressing activists
to make sure there are no voices in Germany critical of Israel. Activists here
have paid a high price to make sure that they can protest.”
According to
Dogru, this is a test case. Ultimately, the suppression of speech is not about
Israel, but an attack on its own society.
“Germany
is preparing to assert itself as a leading military and political force in NATO
and the EU. To do that, it must eliminate resistance–not just abroad, but at
home. This isn’t driven by historical guilt or solidarity. It’s about silencing
dissent and disciplining society. By targeting the most marginalized, the
German state is disciplining its population–silencing opposition before it
grows.”
The message
from the German government is clear, Dogru claims:
“fall
in line, or be crushed.”
Editor’s note | This article
was updated after publication. A reference to “Dogru’s graphic” was changed to
“red. media’s graphic” to accurately reflect the source. Additionally, a quote
was revised to better represent Dogru’s concerns about potential deportation.
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