Aug. 13 (UPI) — An American tourist was punched after drunkenly giving the Nazi salute several times on the streets of Dresden, Germany, over the weekend.
The incident occurred early Saturday morning, apparently after a night of drinking. The 41-year-old American tourist suffered minor injuries as a result of the assault.
The tourist also had the insignia of “unconstitutional organizations, which includes Nazi symbols.” It is illegal to express or display Nazi symbols or slogans in Germany.
The American was detained by German police. At the police station, the man registered a 0.276 percent blood alcohol level. Police have declined to release the man’s name or hometown.
The man who punched the tourist fled the scene after the assault. He is wanted for questioning by Dresden police.
Just last week, a pair of Chinese tourists were arrested for taking photographs of themselves giving the Nazi salute in front of the Reichstag in Berlin. The tourists were released after each posted bail, roughly $589 a piece.
While residents of Germany and Austria, as well as many of their European neighbors, are educated on the laws forbidding Nazi symbols and expressions, it’s not clear if Chinese tourists are aware of the post-1945 statutes.
But as one British paper pointed out, those who know the history of the Nazi salute should know not to do it.
“PSA to tourists: Don’t do a Nazi salute in Germany,” the Metro’s Jen Mills wrote. “Don’t do it anywhere in fact.”
