Because of hate messages: high school graduates delete names from articles

For two years he is racially insulted and threatened, if the "Rheinische Post" could therefore please delete his name from the high school list on the Internet? With this request, a young man who wants to remain anonymous, caused a stir in social media. Many people were upset.

Rainer Leurs, online boss of the "Rheinische Post" had publicized the unusual process via Twitter. "The fact that someone turns to us and wants to have his name removed from an article is our everyday life," he told SPIEGEL, "but the reason made me startled."

A young man from a town on the Lower Rhine wrote us. He wants us to delete his name from an article on @rponline (Thread ⬇️)

"The fact that my name appeared on your website, I get constantly hate messages and personally attacking news from right-wing radicals such as Pegida and AfD," wrote the 23-year-old to the newspaper, which reported on Thursday extensively on the case.

The young man and many other students who, like him, have a migrant background, graduated from high school in the Ruhr area in 2016, according to Leurs. This was also evident from the list of names published by the newspaper in a congratulatory article.

"Public attacks available today"

One year after graduation, a Pegida local association from Bavaria posted the list on Facebook, provided with the hashtag "Genug_ist_Genug" and the ironically meant comment "More and more Germans are doing their Abitur". As the young man has explained it, said Leurs, and that was also understandable on the basis of sent links.

For many right-wing commentators, this list of names evidently gave cause for expressing himself in an extremely ironic, sarcastic and derogatory way: "Koran school", "Islamization does not take place" and "And where are the Germans?". "These public attacks and the verbal abuse are still available today," said Leurs.

The young man also personally received offensive messages via Facebook. The content summarizes the 23-year-old according to the newspaper as follows: "Foreigners are not welcome here and if they are already here, they should work and not study." The ex-high school graduate was shocked about it.

"Taken out of the line of fire"

An article about having graduated should be a source of pleasure; something to be proud of. We have now erased the young man's name from the post to take him out of the line of fire. It is so bitter that it is necessary in Germany today.

The young man is just setting up a business and does not want Google's racist Facebook posting to appear first, Leurs said. He fulfilled the wish. On Wednesday evening, the online boss had already shared with Twitter: "We have now erased the name of the young man from the post to take him out of the line of fire.It is so bitter that today in Germany is necessary."

The man did not want to comment on the incidents. In an e-mail, which is the SPIEGEL, he said, however, that Facebook had ignored his request to delete the post. Above all, he sees politicians responsible for intervening in racist incidents: "The more freedom the racists get, the bigger and more inhumane they become," said the 23-year-old.

Thanks for making it public. Too bad that it is necessary.

Thousands of people gave the Leurs tweet a "Like" until Thursday. Many politicians and celebrities commented on the case. The moderator Dunja Hayali wrote: "If you succeed, it is not right, if you are not successful, it is not right."

If you succeed, it is not right. Is not successful, it is also not correct ♀️ Could the so-called defender of the West decide? #haymatland

Oh, I forgot. They already have. All out, deport or dispose.

Sorry for the cynicism. https://t.co/bN5Nqn5JBC

The North Rhine-Westphalian SPD faction leader Thomas Kutschaty tweeted: "Who has the degree in the bag, is rightly proud and deserves respect - no envy and certainly no right hatred."