BERLIN: German police on Saturday arrested two Chinese tourists for making illegal “Heil Hitler” salutes in front of the historic Reichstag building that houses the German parliament.
Berlin police officers say they detained the two men, aged 36 and 49, after they were seen striking the Nazi-era pose and photographing each other with their mobile phones.
They face charges for “using symbols of illegal organizations,” the police said in a statement, and were released after posting bail of 500 euros each.
Germany has strict laws on hate speech and symbols linked to Hitler and the Nazis, who ruled between 1933 and 1945.
The Reichstag is a powerful symbol in Germany. It was destroyed by fire in 1933 by an arsonist thought to have been paid by the Nazis, who then blamed the blaze on the Communists and used it as an excuse to severely restrict civil liberties.
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Chinese tourists arrested after Hitler salutes in Germany
Chinese tourists arrested after Hitler salutes in Germany
Chagos islanders say they refuse to leave in protest against UK handover
- Four members of the Chagos community, accompanied by former British Conservative MP Adam Holloway, landed on the remote Coin Island in the Peros Banhos atoll
- Misley Mandarin: ‘I dare (British Prime Minister) Keir Starmer to remove me or the Mauritian government to remove me’
PORT LOUIS, Mauritius: Four Chagos islanders, who oppose Britain handing back the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius, said they refused to leave despite a maritime patrol trying to evict them on Wednesday.
Britain kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s and evicted all inhabitants to make way for a military base.
Last May, Britain agreed to hand back sovereignty to Mauritius while maintaining a lease on the largest island, Diego Garcia, home to the military base now used by the United States.
On Monday, four members of the Chagos community, accompanied by former British Conservative MP Adam Holloway, landed on the remote Coin Island in the Peros Banhos atoll.
One of the group told AFP by phone that they were opposed to last year’s deal.
“The UK is handing away my homeland to Mauritius. That’s the reason why we’re here,” said Misley Mandarin, who has proclaimed himself “first minister” of the Chagossian government-in-exile.
He says he wants the islands to stay British and for the 322 surviving natives to return.
“We’re not waiting for any government to help us to settle,” Mandarin said in a live Facebook video.
“I dare (British Prime Minister) Keir Starmer to remove me or the Mauritian government to remove me.”
On Wednesday, a British maritime patrol attempted to expel the group, Mandarin told AFP by phone.
“They want to remove us from the island but we’re going to stay put... And we’ve got lawyers backing us,” he said.
According to a report by the Conservative Post, he is accompanied by his father, Michel Mandarin, 72, who was expelled from the islands when he was 14.
Mauritian Justice Minister Gavin Glover said it was “clearly a publicity stunt” ahead of a debate in the British parliament over the deal, which has been criticized by both rights groups and US President Donald Trump.
“All this is distressing, because the Mauritian state has made a solemn commitment to ensure that the Chagossians return to their homeland as soon as possible,” Glover told reporters.
Britain kept control of the Chagos Islands after Mauritius gained independence in the 1960s and evicted all inhabitants to make way for a military base.
Last May, Britain agreed to hand back sovereignty to Mauritius while maintaining a lease on the largest island, Diego Garcia, home to the military base now used by the United States.
On Monday, four members of the Chagos community, accompanied by former British Conservative MP Adam Holloway, landed on the remote Coin Island in the Peros Banhos atoll.
One of the group told AFP by phone that they were opposed to last year’s deal.
“The UK is handing away my homeland to Mauritius. That’s the reason why we’re here,” said Misley Mandarin, who has proclaimed himself “first minister” of the Chagossian government-in-exile.
He says he wants the islands to stay British and for the 322 surviving natives to return.
“We’re not waiting for any government to help us to settle,” Mandarin said in a live Facebook video.
“I dare (British Prime Minister) Keir Starmer to remove me or the Mauritian government to remove me.”
On Wednesday, a British maritime patrol attempted to expel the group, Mandarin told AFP by phone.
“They want to remove us from the island but we’re going to stay put... And we’ve got lawyers backing us,” he said.
According to a report by the Conservative Post, he is accompanied by his father, Michel Mandarin, 72, who was expelled from the islands when he was 14.
Mauritian Justice Minister Gavin Glover said it was “clearly a publicity stunt” ahead of a debate in the British parliament over the deal, which has been criticized by both rights groups and US President Donald Trump.
“All this is distressing, because the Mauritian state has made a solemn commitment to ensure that the Chagossians return to their homeland as soon as possible,” Glover told reporters.
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