{"id":5067,"date":"2026-06-07T16:06:52","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T13:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/revolt-against-nius-censorship-at-bvg-even-greens-criticize\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T16:06:52","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T13:06:52","slug":"revolt-against-nius-censorship-at-bvg-even-greens-criticize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/revolt-against-nius-censorship-at-bvg-even-greens-criticize\/","title":{"rendered":"Revolt Against NIUS Censorship at BVG, Even Greens Criticize"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Berlin Transport Company (BVG) ordered its marketing contractor to terminate NIUS advertising &#8220;with immediate effect,&#8221; according to <em>Nius<\/em>. The decision by the state-owned enterprise has prompted both outrage and celebration, with the Green party viewing the move as an opportunity to further restrict what content can be advertised on publicly funded platforms.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 344px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2062896476913590355&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.nius.de%2Fapp%2Foffice-hr%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F45f8ddf7-0d23-4969-953c-d3524715c98f&amp;sessionId=84921b80182404100b323c45ae21692bad0acf25&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"2062896476913590355\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Antje Kapek<\/strong>, the Green party&#8217;s transport policy spokesperson in the Berlin state parliament, wrote on X that the cancellation represents a clear victory for civil society. She went further, demanding that advertising rights be modified to exclude what she termed &#8220;anti-human and anti-democratic content or organizations&#8221; from the outset.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"position:relative;display:block;margin:1.4em 0;max-width:100%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Gr\u00fcnen-Politikerin Antje Kapek\" class=\"wp-image-5065\" style=\"width:100%;height:auto;\" srcset=\"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/575052707-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><figcaption style=\"display:block;font-size:12px;color:#666;font-style:italic;margin-top:5px;padding:0;text-align:left;\">Photo: nius.de<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The statement has drawn widespread criticism for what observers see as an attempt to establish censorship mechanisms in direct contradiction to Germany&#8217;s constitutional protections. Article 5 of the German Basic Law explicitly states that censorship shall not take place, a fundamental right that critics say the Greens appear willing to circumvent when targeting voices they consider inconvenient.<\/p>\n<p>Kapek&#8217;s characterization of NIUS content as &#8220;anti-human and anti-democratic&#8221; over statements such as &#8220;there are only two sexes&#8221; has exposed what critics describe as the warped standards within the Green party regarding freedom of expression. The politician&#8217;s enthusiasm for converting this so-called victory into expanded censorship powers reveals an authoritarian mindset, according to detractors.<\/p>\n<h2>Cross-Party Condemnation<\/h2>\n<p>The reaction from across Germany&#8217;s political landscape has been swift and severe. <strong>Martin Hagen<\/strong>, the new general secretary of the Free Democratic Party (FDP), declared that press freedom must be defended against all forms of authoritarianism, including the green variety.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Jan Sch\u00e4fer<\/strong>, political editor of Bild newspaper, questioned whether a party that constantly stokes fears while simultaneously fearing other opinions and viewpoints is good for democracy. <strong>Hugo M\u00fcller-Vogg<\/strong>, former publisher of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, wrote that banning, patronizing, and suppressing unwelcome opinions is what the Greens dream of.<\/p>\n<p><iframe style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 462px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" class=\"\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2063166910213030198&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.nius.de%2Fapp%2Foffice-hr%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F45f8ddf7-0d23-4969-953c-d3524715c98f&amp;sessionId=84921b80182404100b323c45ae21692bad0acf25&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"2063166910213030198\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Berlin FDP politician <strong>Andreas Schreiner<\/strong> warned that Kapek&#8217;s post clearly demonstrates an attempt to build a left-wing autocracy. He accused the Green politician of either not paying attention in civics class or having lost interest in a democracy where opinions she dislikes are permitted. This autocracy, he argued, is being erected not through violence but through restrictions and moral as well as political pressure.<\/p>\n<p>Christian Democratic Union (CDU) politician <strong>Christoph Plo\u00df<\/strong> stated that while one need not like NIUS, such statements from the Green party reveal a totalitarian attitude toward those who think differently. He affirmed his support for press freedom and opposition to Green exclusion tactics.<\/p>\n<h2>Internal Green Criticism<\/h2>\n<p>Remarkably, criticism emerged even from within the Green party itself. Party colleague <strong>Markus Bublitz<\/strong> wrote on X that Kapek was off base. He pointed out that criminal content can be challenged in court, and that none of the NIUS advertising displayed on BVG was anti-human or anti-democratic. Bublitz warned that when Greens repeatedly overshoot the mark with such demands, it is no wonder that people ultimately make their electoral choices elsewhere.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"de\" dir=\"ltr\">Es darf nur gesagt und beworben werden was das Wahrheitsministerium erlaubt <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oIg734eDGZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/oIg734eDGZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 marc friedrich (@marcfriedrich) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marcfriedrich\/status\/2063134060780642538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 6, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Former member of parliament <strong>Joana Cotar<\/strong> drew historical parallels, noting that every totalitarian in history was convinced they were only silencing the right people. Financial expert and author <strong>Marc Friedrich<\/strong> sarcastically observed that only what the Ministry of Truth permits may be said and advertised.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p lang=\"de\" dir=\"ltr\">Es darf nur gesagt und beworben werden was das Wahrheitsministerium erlaubt <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/oIg734eDGZ\">https:\/\/t.co\/oIg734eDGZ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 marc friedrich (@marcfriedrich) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/marcfriedrich\/status\/2063134060780642538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 6, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The controversy highlights fundamental tensions in German public discourse over the boundaries of acceptable speech and the role of state-owned enterprises in determining which media outlets can access advertising platforms. The BVG is entirely state-owned, with more than half its revenue derived from taxpayers, raising questions about equal treatment and anti-discrimination principles when political pressure determines advertising policies.<\/p>\n<p>Critics note the irony of Kapek framing the exclusion of a constitutionally protected media outlet from advertising opportunities as a civil society victory, particularly when the decision comes from a fully state-controlled company funded largely by public money. The episode underscores growing concerns about authoritarian tendencies among Germany&#8217;s governing parties and their willingness to use institutional power to silence critical voices.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align:right\"><em>With information from <a href=\"https:\/\/nius.de\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nius<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A senior Green politician in Berlin celebrated the removal of NIUS advertising from public transport, sparking cross-party backlash over concerns about censorship and constitutional protections.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":5066,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[122],"tags":[5556,525,5555,25,1348,4515,3345],"nfg_topic":[137],"class_list":["post-5067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-antje-kapek","tag-berlin","tag-bvg","tag-germany","tag-green-party","tag-media-censorship","tag-nius","nfg_topic-culture-wars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5067"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5067\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5066"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5067"},{"taxonomy":"nfg_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsfire.gr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nfg_topic?post=5067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}