55
Debanking, an Authoritarian Threat to the Left
(jacobin.com)
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
this post was submitted on 20 May 2026
55 points (96.6% liked)
Global News
6562 readers
361 users here now
What is global news?
Something that happened or was uncovered recently anywhere in the world. It doesn't have to have global implications. Just has to be informative in some way.
Post guidelines
Title format
Post title should mirror the news source title. If you don't like the title of article, look for an alternative source instead of editorializing it.
URL format
Post URL should be the original link to the article (even if paywalled) and archived copies left in the body. It allows avoiding duplicate posts when cross-posting.
[Opinion] prefix
Opinion (op-ed) articles must use [Opinion] prefix before the title. Opinion articles refer to articles that their publisher doesn't explictly endorse.
Country prefix
Country prefix can be added to the title with a separator (|, :, etc.) if the news is from a local publisher who doesn't clearly mention the country.
Rules
This community is moderated in accordance with the principles outlined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which emphasizes the right to freedom of opinion and expression. In addition to this foundational principle, we have some additional rules to ensure a respectful and constructive environment for all users.
1. English only
Title and associated content has to be in English.
2. No social media posts
Avoid all social media posts. Try searching for a source that has a written article or transcription on the subject.
3. Respectful communication
All communication has to be respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences.
4. Inclusivity
Everyone is welcome here regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, caste, color, religion, or sexual identity and orientation. Any kind of discrimination is will not be tolerated.
5. Ad hominem attacks
Any kind of personal attacks are expressly forbidden. If you can't argue your position without attacking a person's character, you already lost the argument.
6. Off-topic tangents
Stay on topic. Keep it relevant.
7. Instance rules may apply
If something is not covered by community rules, but are against lemmy.zip instance rules, they will be enforced.
Companion communities
- !legalnews@lemmy.zip - International and local legal news.
- !technology@lemmy.zip - News community around technology, social media platforms, information technology and governmental policy surrounding it.
- !interestingshare@lemmy.zip - Fascinating articles, captivating images, satisfying videos, interesting projects, stunning research and more.
- !europe@lemmy.dbzer0.com - News and information about Europe.
- !usa@midwest.social - News and information about United States of America.
Icon generated via LLM model | Banner attribution
If someone is interested in moderating this community, message @brikox@lemmy.zip.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Shit. Germany really isn't in a good place right now. Going the same route as so many other countries (normal conservative parties pandering to far-right populism), with the added historical baggage...
The article frames the Rote Hilfe as a charity that is in the world only for the good of humanity. It doesn't even mention that the organization also supports the RAF and its members, including those who have committed the worst crimes such as assassinations. This is not independent information.
There is a lot wrong in Germany, but it is among the better places to live in if we compare it globally. The countries where minorities and their governments' political opponents are suppressed are elsewhere, and these are often states that claim to be 'left-wing' or 'socialist' (exactly the ideologies the Jacobin magazine hails so much). If an organization in Russia or China has a different opinion, then people are not 'debanked' but they fall out of a window or disappear in some prison (and if someone criticizes the government in an article, the writer shares the same fate).
You're explaining to two Ukrainians that Russia does human rights abuses. We know that. I don't think it's an excuse for other countries to make it difficult to support prisoners through legal means. Including those jailed for violent crimes. I'm more interested in ABC-Dresden than Rote Hilfe tbh, I'm not a fan of Jacobin of their branch of politics.
They don't just support prisoners through legal means, they openly embrace their violence.
From what I've just found in archives, Rote Hilfe has also once advocated for Borotba, a left-conservative pro-Russian group. That was... stupid of them, or at least disingenuous. https://web.archive.org/web/20150227230349/https://www.nihilist.li/2014/12/16/nam-ne-potribna-vasha-pidtrimka-wir-brauchen-diese-unterstutzung-nicht/
Still, they stopped doing that, and they're not alone being debanked (their leftist opponents are, too), and not for that reason. There seems to be crackdown on leftist organizations in progress. Which is a very upsetting trend. https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/2026/04/05/abc-dresden-on-debanking-and-us-anti-antifascist-pressure/
There may or may not be such a crackdown (against left-wing and right-wing organizations). In 2024, for example, the Rote Hilfe openly criticized the state upon the arrest of Daniela Klette as she was arrested the year before, and embraced her actions (you'll find ample evidence on the web). Wikipedia says about Klette:
The Rote Hilfe has been embracing her violence. And this is just an example of what they do.
As I said earlier on, there is no difference between the left-wing and right-wing organizations if and when they intend to topple the democratic state, particularly by violence. This is unacceptable and intolerable imo.
Direct action against war in Iraq, and destroying a prison without harming anyone? That's... impressive, a person accused of being a part of this definitely deserves legal assistance. There's a huge difference between the left and the right in terms of whom they defend, target and try to avoid collateralizing.