Berlin activists unite to challenge far-right platform Nius in fiery debate
Tension in the Air: Berlin's Left Mobilizes Against Far-Right Propaganda Outlet Nius
The nervous energy was palpable. On Friday evening, clusters of three—some in fisherman's hats, others in wigs—lingered near the entrance to the Dragonerareal complex in Kreuzberg. Anti-fascist activists had positioned themselves to protect an informational event targeting Nius, the far-right propaganda platform. Organizers feared provocateurs might show up—whether openly or undercover, including Nius staff themselves.
Inside the venue, photography and filming were strictly prohibited. The moderator made it clear: any far-right remarks would be met with swift ejection under house rules. Yet the evening—the launch of a Kreuzberg-based protest alliance against Nius—proceeded without disruption. Some 250 attendees packed the hall to capacity.
The extreme precautions were not without reason. For weeks, Nius—headquartered on Ritterstraße in Kreuzberg—had aggressively promoted the event while stoking opposition to it. The platform branded the "No to Nius" initiative as far-left and taxpayer-funded, claiming ties to the militant "Hammerbande" and framing the gathering as a "troubling attack on press freedom." Nius, meanwhile, styles itself as a "free and youthful media brand."
A "Journalism" Façade for Far-Right Agitation
Speakers at the event—some choosing to remain anonymous—dismissed such claims, instead describing Nius as an "online pillory" or a "mud-slinging outlet." They argued that the platform masquerades as journalism while peddling stereotypes, racist tropes, and attacks on refugees, climate activists, NGOs, and democratic civil society. According to a detailed analysis of Nius' strategies under editor-in-chief Julian Reichelt, the outlet serves as an accelerant for far-right discourse, deliberately shifting public debate to the right.
Targets Speak Out
The podium featured accounts from those who had already been singled out by Nius' aggressive campaigns. An activist with the Widersetzen alliance, which had disrupted the relaunch of the far-right AfD's youth wing in Gießen, recounted how a Nius employee had infiltrated her group to secretly film them. A representative from the left-wing Unrast publishing house described how Nius staff had harassed and aggressively filmed their team.
The most high-profile figure among them was Guido Arnold, a member of the technology-critical çapulcu collective. Nius had linked him—without evidence—to the Vulkangruppen attacks on energy infrastructure, published his photo, and staked out his home. Undeterred, Arnold doubled down on his critiques, discussing the flaws of AI language models and the erosion of shared truths through social media—a tactic he argued the far right deliberately exploits.
One pattern became clear: hit pieces by Nius or similar outlets like Apollo News reliably trigger torrents of abuse—vile insults, rape threats, and death threats. Yet those targeted also reported an outpouring of solidarity and heightened interest in their work.
While Nius has proven it can manufacture outrage—most notably in its campaign against the nomination of Judge Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf to the constitutional court—its actual reach is limited. The platform doesn't rank among Germany's top 100 online media by audience and posted a €13 million loss in 2023. But profitability isn't the point: Nius' backer, multimillionaire Frank Gotthardt, has deep pockets and close ties to the CDU leadership.
A Call for Civil Society Resistance
The counter-strategies debated at the event's close were anything but "far-left." Instead, they reflected the democratic, civic-minded ethos of the audience—many of whom were over 50. "Hiding isn't an option," the moderator declared, urging pushback and solidarity. Affected initiatives and organizations, she argued, must be strengthened and left to fend for themselves. The çapulcu representative called for mobilization against far-right media, Big Tech, and "bullshit generators" like ChatGPT. One attendee suggested supporting left-wing bookstores and defending journalistic standards. And soon, protesters plan to rally outside Nius' Kreuzberg offices on Ritterstraße.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
