Alleged Hitler salute: Action on 11.11. not punishable by law
Following media reports about alleged right-wing extremist incidents on November 11 in Cologne, the public prosecutor's office and police have not been able to establish any criminal offenses. The behavior of a man seen on a video has no criminal relevance, the investigators announced on Monday. The man, who had climbed a lamp post, was not showing the Hitler salute, but was raising the "wrong" one for a Hitler salute, namely his left arm in a mere gesture of jubilation.
The shout "Der Führer begrüßt" ("The Führer welcomes you") from the ranks of the spectators did not constitute a forbidden slogan in itself, but rather a non-punishable act of bad taste. The young lantern climber was therefore not found to have any right-wing views. The call "Der Führer welcomes" could not be attributed to a specific person.
Following media reports about the man and his alleged Hitler salute, there had been consternation on social media and elsewhere. On Sunday, a good 50 people gathered for a vigil under the motto "Carnivalists against the right" in front of the Cologne synagogue.
Despite the concern over the man's actions, the investigators clarified that he didn't perform a genuine Hitler salute, as he raised his left arm instead. However, this incident has raised concerns about potential right-wing extremism in the customs of certain groups, leading to calls for increased vigilance against such crime.
Source: www.dpa.com
