Tuesday, August 8, 2017

German cops nab Chinese tourists for making Nazi salute outside Parliament

shutterstock_526234636-940x580  The two men, aged 36 and 49, could be slapped with a fine or a prison sentence of up to three years for making the Nazi salute outside Germany's lower house in Berlin. Source: Shitterstock

7th August 2017

TWO Chinese tourists learned the hard way it is illegal to perform the Nazi salute in Germany after they were arrested for raising the Sieg Hailing outside Parliament in Berlin on Saturday.
According to the BBC, the duo is faced with criminal proceedings for using banned symbols from the outlawed fascist organisation.
If convicted, the two men, aged 36 and 49, could be slapped with a fine or a prison sentence of up to three years.
Police said the pair had been released on EUR500 (US$600) each.
The charges the tourists face were usually used to prosecute right-wing hardliners.
Citing a report by the AFP news agency, the BBC quoted a police spokeswoman as saying the men could leave the country during the investigation. If a fine is handed to them, the bail money paid would likely cover for it, the spokesman said.
A report in the New York Times said the two were whisked away in police vehicles after they were spotted making the Nazi salute while snapping photos of each other outside the Reichtag, Germany’s lower house of Parliament.
Demonstrating its non-tolerance towards the former Nazi regime, Germany enacts strict laws concerning hate speech, particularly when cases are linked to famed Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and his party.
Like many European countries, Germany is a choice destination for Chinese tourists who arrive in the country by the millions every year.  Although anti-hate speech laws were commonplace in Europe, it is uncertain whether visitors from China are well-versed on the sensitivities of the European countries they visit.
According to the Mercator Institute for China Studies, a research foundation based in Berlin, the number of Chinese tourists to Germany swelled above two million in 2014. By 2020, tourist organisations say a projected 2.2 million Chinese visitors are expected to visit Germany.
The volume of Chinese tourists has surged since China put the European Union on its list of approved countries, with many from the mainland taking advantage of direct flights to shop and enjoy sightseeing in the continent.
However, the rise in Chinese tourists to European destinations, as well as other places throughout the globe is not welcomed by all, owing to culture clashes and common courtesy, according to the NYT.
***This article first appeared on our sister site Travel Wire Asia