American Tourist Beaten Up For Giving Nazi Salute in Germany
An American tourist was beaten in Dresden, Germany on Saturday after raising his arm and giving the Nazi salute many times, according to the police.
The man was put under investigation for violating the law against displaying Nazi symbols or slogans, reports said. The man “under strong influence of alcohol” came out of a bar in the Neustadt district of the city and started raising Nazi salutes on the street. “An unknown passerby then beat up the man and slightly injured him,” the police said in a statement, the Guardian reported.
The police said the attacker fled the scene but that he faces charges of causing bodily harm. Public displays of Nazi symbols are not permitted in Germany.
This is not the first time that people have landed in trouble for using Nazi symbols. Here are a few similar incidents:
On Aug. 5, two Chinese tourists were arrested by the police in Germany for raising Nazi Salutes near the Reichstag, the building where the German parliament meets. According to police, they were held for photographing while striking poses related to the Nazi era. They were released on bails of 500 Euros ($591) each, reports said.
A 30-year-old tourist from Canada was arrested from outside the Reichstag in 2011. He was also found guilty of getting photographed while giving the Nazi salute. A fine was imposed on him and he was released, reports said.
Austria also prohibits propagation of Nazi ideology. In April this year, Austrian police charged 12 Germans, eight men and four women, for violating the law. It was reported that they had put stickers of Nazi symbols on bar coasters in Salzburg. Eight of the group's members were also found raising their arms in the Nazi salute and shouting "Sieg Heil!"
A man was sent to jail in Austria in October 2016, after he was found guilty of posting pictures on social media inspired by Nazism. In one of the pictures he posted, a cat was seen raising its arm as in a Nazi salute.
In February, the Austrian police issued an arrest warrant for a Hitler lookalike. He was accused of "public glorification of Hitler's personality." Another man was sent to jail for selling recorded songs related to Hitler and displaying Nazi tattoos.
A teenager was expelled in Munich, Germany, for allegedly raising his arm in a Hitler salute, in class. According to the 18-year-old Maksym M, he had raised his arm when attendance was taken and his action was misinterpreted. The state prosecutor refused to bring charges against the boy, reports said.
In December 2016, a school principal in Taiwan had to resign after students of his school dressed up like Nazis in a parade. The act outraged parents and locals. The photographs of the event circulated on social media and faced criticism. The principal took responsibility of the event and stepped down, reports said.
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