The city of Brussels is taking legal action in response to a Nazi salute made during a protest in the capital. Mayor Philippe Close (Francophone socialist PS) made the announcement on Instagram. ‘Brussels is an open and diverse city. These hateful ideologies have no place here,’ he said.
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City of Brussels files complaint against protesters who made Nazi salutes
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For many years the Nazi salute was used as a greeting in Adolf Hitler’s Germany. It is performed by raising and extending the right arm forward at an upward angle with a straightened hand, fingers together, and palm facing downward.
Last Saturday afternoon, dozens of people gathered on the Poelaert Square in central Brussels to commemorate Quentin Deranque, the young French far-right activist who died last month following an attack during a demonstration in the French city of Lyons. He was beaten to death by supporters of the far left.
Footage circulating on social media shows one of the demonstrators making the Nazi salute. The demonstrator is carrying a Flemish flag with a Celtic cross added. The Celtic cross is a symbol that has been hi-jacked by some far-right activists.
Filing a complaint
The images are ‘very shocking,’ says Mayor Philippe Close. ‘The city will file a complaint on account of the Nazi salutes observed during this demonstration and will call in the public prosecutor's office to identify the perpetrators.’
‘Brussels is an open and diverse city. These hateful ideologies have no place here,’ Close concludes. ‘We will continue to fight, with all legal means and with respect for the rule of law, against the far right and all forms of racism.’