President Bolsonaro supporters make Nazi salute in election loss rallies

2 years ago
9

The German ambassador to Brazil condemned what he called the "shocking" use of "Nazi symbols" at protests in favour of defeated hard-Right president Jair Bolsonaro.

In videos that surfaced earlier this week, demonstrators in the southern Brazilian state of Santa Catarina can be seen making what appears to be a Nazi salute, raising their outstretched right arms during the Brazilian national anthem.

Supporters of Mr Bolsonaro have held rallies every day since the president lost Sunday's election to leftist figurehead Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

They call for a military coup to annul the election result and keep Mr Bolsonaro—who has yet to publicly concede defeat—in power.

"The use of Nazi and fascist symbols by clearly far-Right 'protesters' is profoundly shocking. Advocating Nazism is a crime," tweeted Heiko Thoms, Germany's ambassador to Brazil.

"This is not a matter of freedom of expression," he added. "This gesture disrespects the memory of the victims of Nazism and the horrors it caused."

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