Four German citizens, two sisters and their partners, were arrested on Saturday for commemorating Hitler’s birthday at his birthplace in Austria.
The incident occurred at the building in Braunau am Inn, which is now planned to be converted into a police station to prevent it from becoming a pilgrimage site for Hitler supporters.
The four individuals, all in their 20s and early 30s, posed in front of the building and one of the women gave a Nazi salute. Police officers witnessed the incident and took all four into custody for questioning.
During the interrogation, the woman who gave the salute claimed that she did not intend it seriously. However, officers discovered a chat on her phone with the other three individuals that contained Nazi-themed messages and pictures.
All four people were reported to prosecutors on suspicion of violating the Austrian law that prohibits Nazi symbols. The Austrian government has been working to prevent the site from becoming a destination for neo-Nazis and has expropriated the building to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing efforts to combat the spread of hate speech and neo-Nazi ideology in Austria and elsewhere.
