German Police launches probe into banned Nazi salutes performed at Oktoberfest celebration

German Police along with the state security service (BfV) have launched an investigation into Nazi salutes seen in a viral video taken at a recent Oktoberfest celebration. According to Russia Today, the incident took place in the German state of Saxony on Monday. Oktoberfest is the world’s largest beer festival which originated in Bavaria in the 19th century. However, it is celebrated in other parts of Germany as well. 

In the video which is circulating online, three men and a woman can be seen doing the Nazi salute while being dressed in traditional Bavarian attire. According to German news outlet Bild, one of the men made the banned gesture as many as 14 times over 16 seconds. Following the incident, a regional police officer stated that they have “secured” the footage and handed it over to the relevant department.

Under the country’s Criminal Code, the Nazi salute and the use of any symbols related to Nazis is “unconstitutional”. The perpetrators can be sent behind bars for up to three years. However, the authorities have yet to reveal the identities of the suspects involved in the act, Russia Today reported. 

The blasphemous act took place amid ongoing controversy over the Canadian Parliament honouring a Nazi veteran. On Friday, Canadian lawmakers gave a standing ovation to 98-year-old Yaroslav Hunka, who fought for the Nazis in World War 2. This attracted major criticisms from countries like Poland and Russia.Following the criticism, Canadian Speaker of the House Anthony Rota apologised for praising such an individual at a parliamentary meeting.

The organisers distance themselves from the suspects

According to German news outlet Bild, the organisers of the Oktoberfest have distanced themselves from the suspects. “We clearly distance ourselves from such visitors, we just want to celebrate Oktoberfest as normal,” Matthias Braune, one of the organisers told the German news outlet. A spokesperson for the Saxony police, Marcel Malchow told Bild on Monday that BfV will deal with the case from here on. The BfV is responsible for investigating cases related to extremist and terrorist activities that break out in Germany.