German soccer club St. Pauli is leaving X, saying the social media platform has become a “hate machine” that could influence upcoming German elections.

Musk purchased the platform formerly known as Twitter in 2022. Critics say his hands-off approach has allowed lies and hate speech to spread, while Musk has said he is defending free speech. Hamburg-based St Pauli are known for having an alternative fan scene and left-wing supporter base.

St Pauli Hamburg has decided to leave the social media platform X, citing as a reason that Elon Musk, the owner of the microblogging platform, has turned it into a "hate amplifier." "Elon Musk has turned a space for debate into a hate amplifier that could also influence the Bundestag elections,

Bundesliga club move to Bluesky and urge fans to follow citing concerns that Elon Musk's platform may influence German election

The club also called on its followers on Elon Musk's X to switch to BlueSky. The club statement was accompanied by a photo of a sticker showing a fist smashing a swastika, beside the club’s emblem and a slogan saying its fans are against right-wing politics.