Moki’s Goodies, in the wealthy Hamburg neighbourhood of Eimsbüttler, announced earlier in March that they would no longer be accepting toddlers or babies.
The decision caused significant controversy, particularly on social media where the cafe and its owner Monika Ertl have been subject to constant attack. The online vitriol spilled over at the end of last week when one of the aggrieved critics decided to make their feelings known offline.
As reported in the Eimsbüttler Nachrichten, the cafe was vandalized sometime early on Friday.
The facade of the cafe was spray painted black, with a large white ‘frowny face’. The front window of the cafe was spray painted with the words ‘Kevin 6 Jahre!’ (Kevin, 6 years old!)
#Vandalismus in #Eimsbüttel: Das Café Mokis Goodies wurde von Unbekannten besprüht, nachdem es mit Kinderverbot Shitstorm ausgelöst hatte. #Schnullergatehttps://t.co/o5lcoOjGJn
— Eimsbütteler Nachr. (@eimsbuettelern) March 22, 2019
Upon discovering the vandalism when arriving on the premises, cafe workers quickly cleared the white spray paint from the glass windows and doors of the cafe - although the black paint could clearly still be seen on the walls.
Twitter users have spoken out in support of the cafe, saying that “hate and insults are one thing” but “vandalism is something completely different”.
Hass und Beleidigungen gegen die Inhaberin und die Mitarbeiter*innen im Netz auszukippen ist das eine, wenn auch da schon völlig fernab von einem Diskurs. Vandalismus mit dem "Gruß" "Kevin, 6 Jahre!" zu hinterlassen, ist was ganz anderes. What's next? Ohne Worte. #mokisgoodies pic.twitter.com/GMWtXxv2qk
— Daniel Rehn (@danielrehn) 22. März 2019
The decision to ban children under six sparked such a strong reaction in Germany that it was dubbed #Schunullergate (dummygate).
The cafe owner addressed the controversy on Instagram prior to the graffiti bomb, accusing critics of “amazing hostility” and “bullying” adding that she “wishes your wonderful children never have to experience something like that”.
However, although there were negative comments about Ertl's move to keep youngsters out of her cafe, many people also said they understood and supported her decision.
Moki’s Goodies is one of several cafes to go child-free in Germany in recent years.
In 2018 The Local reported how Rudolf Markl, the owner of Oma's Küche, in Binz on the island of Rügen, had made his cafe an adults-only spot after 5pm.
Markl said that the decision was made to give cafe visitors “an oasis of calm” from children who behaved badly - and whose parents failed to intervene.
"We have been thinking about this for a very long time," said Markl.
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"There has to be a limit somewhere where we say: it's just not possible."
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