Latest news with #publicpeace
Al Arabiya
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
German court acquits satirist over social media post following Trump assassination attempt
A German court on Wednesday acquitted a satirist who was charged with having approved of an assassination attempt against Donald Trump during last year's US election campaign in a social media post and disturbed the public peace. In a quickly deleted post under his alias El Hotzo on X in July last year, Sebastian Hotz drew a parallel between Trump and the last bus and wrote, 'Unfortunately, just missed.' In a follow-up post he wrote: 'I find it absolutely fantastic when fascists die.' A gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, while Trump was campaigning for president last July, grazing Trump's ear and killing one of his supporters in the crowd. Trump went on to win the White House in November. Prosecutors charged Hotz with approval of offenses. At a one-day trial at the Tiergarten district court in Berlin, prosecutors called for the 29-year-old to be handed a 6,000-euro (7,030) fine. They argued that the posts fell into the category of hate crimes and, because Hotz has nearly 740,000 followers on X, could disturb the public peace, German news agency dpa reported. Hotz argued that what a satirist says should be understood as a joke and that playing with provocation is his job. Judge Andrea Wilms said in her ruling that Hotz's post was satire that should go unpunished even if the comments may have been tasteless. She argued that no one would feel called upon to commit acts of violence by such clearly satirical utterances, according to a court statement. The German Journalists Association earlier this week criticized the trial as excessive and said that the case should be closed, arguing that satirical freedom should be interpreted generously. It noted that public broadcaster RBB already terminated its work with Hotz as a result of the post.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
German court acquits satirist over social media post following Trump assassination attempt
A German court on Wednesday acquitted a satirist who was charged with having approved of an assassination attempt against Donald Trump during last year's U.S. election campaign in a social media post and disturbed the public peace. In a quickly deleted post under his alias 'El Hotzo' on X in July last year, Sebastian Hotz drew a parallel between Trump and 'the last bus' and wrote 'unfortunately just missed.' In a follow-up post, he wrote: 'I find it absolutely fantastic when fascists die.' A gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, while Trump was campaigning for president last July, grazing Trump's ear and killing one of his supporters in the crowd. Trump went on to win the White House in November. Prosecutors charged Hotz with approval of offenses. At a one-day trial at the Tiergarten district court in Berlin, prosecutors called for the 29-year-old to be handed a 6,000-euro ($7,030) fine. They argued that the posts fell into the category of hate crimes and, because Hotz has nearly 740,000 followers on X, could disturb the public peace, German news agency dpa reported. Hotz argued that what a satirist says should be understood as a joke, and that 'playing with provocation' is his job. Judge Andrea Wilms said in her ruling that Hotz's post was satire that should go unpunished, even if the comments may have been tasteless. She argued that no one would feel called upon to commit acts of violence by 'such clearly satirical utterances,' according to a court statement. The German Journalists' Association earlier this week criticized the trial as excessive and said that the case should be closed, arguing that satirical freedom should be interpreted generously. It noted that public broadcaster RBB already terminated its work with Hotz as a result of the post.
Associated Press
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
German court acquits satirist over social media post following Trump assassination attempt
BERLIN (AP) — A German court on Wednesday acquitted a satirist who was charged with having approved of an assassination attempt against Donald Trump during last year's U.S. election campaign in a social media post and disturbed the public peace. In a quickly deleted post under his alias 'El Hotzo' on X in July last year, Sebastian Hotz drew a parallel between Trump and 'the last bus' and wrote 'unfortunately just missed.' In a follow-up post, he wrote: 'I find it absolutely fantastic when fascists die.' A gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, while Trump was campaigning for president last July, grazing Trump's ear and killing one of his supporters in the crowd. Trump went on to win the White House in November. Prosecutors charged Hotz with approval of offenses. At a one-day trial at the Tiergarten district court in Berlin, prosecutors called for the 29-year-old to be handed a 6,000-euro ($7,030) fine. They argued that the posts fell into the category of hate crimes and, because Hotz has nearly 740,000 followers on X, could disturb the public peace, German news agency dpa reported. Hotz argued that what a satirist says should be understood as a joke, and that 'playing with provocation' is his job. Judge Andrea Wilms said in her ruling that Hotz's post was satire that should go unpunished, even if the comments may have been tasteless. She argued that no one would feel called upon to commit acts of violence by 'such clearly satirical utterances,' according to a court statement. The German Journalists' Association earlier this week criticized the trial as excessive and said that the case should be closed, arguing that satirical freedom should be interpreted generously. It noted that public broadcaster RBB already terminated its work with Hotz as a result of the post.
Khaleej Times
21-06-2025
- Khaleej Times
Dh10,000 fine: UAE police intensify crackdown on noisy, illegally modified cars
As summer vacation begins, many residents are raising concerns about the growing nuisance caused by young motorists, especially in residential neighbourhoods. Police have repeatedly warned against the surge in reckless driving behaviour, including blaring car horns, blasting loud music, and modifying vehicles to create excessive noise — all of which noticeably increase during summer. Families in quiet areas say these actions are keeping children awake at night, disturbing patients and the elderly, and making daily life stressful. Motorists, too, are complaining of aggressive behaviour on the roads, where loud music and sudden honking often spark tension between drivers. Col Mohammad Alai Al Naqbi, director of the Traffic and Patrols Department of Sharjah Police, confirmed the increase in complaints this season. 'Sharjah Police are stepping up patrols in residential areas, and we won't tolerate behaviour that disrupts public peace,' he told Khaleej Times over the weekend. Lt. Col. Rashid Humaid bin Hindi, deputy director of the Traffic and Patrols Department at Ajman Police, also said they launched a crackdown to target drivers who used their horns excessively or modified their vehicles to make noise. 'These practices are disrespectful and dangerous,' he underscored. A top Fujairah Police official also said most common complaints this summer have come from excessive horn use, screeching tyres, and illegal vehicle modifications. 'This kind of behaviour is not only uncivilised but also paints a negative picture of our society,' he said. What the law says The law is clear: Drivers who create noise disturbances face serious penalties. Under UAE Federal Traffic Law, using horns or music systems in a way that disturbs others carries a fine of Dh400 and four black points. If the noise comes from a modified or loud vehicle, the fine jumps to Dh2,000 with 12 black points. Furthermore, vehicles modified without permission can be impounded and owners must pay a Dh10,000 release fee. If the fee is unpaid after three months, the vehicle will be auctioned. According to Ministry of Interior figures, 504 fines were issued in Sharjah last year for disturbing noise, 117 in Ajman, and 8 in Fujairah. Authorities expect those numbers to rise this summer unless drivers behave responsibly. All police departments are urging young motorists to be considerate, especially near schools, hospitals, and residential zones, and to avoid aggressive honking or loud music while driving.
