12:50 am - 07/30/2012
The Summer Olympics may be in England, but a gesture by at least one onlooker at Friday's opening extravaganza evoked images of Hitler's Germany.
An elderly man from the German delegation appeared to perform a wrong-handed Nazi salute as athletes from his nation paraded by a dignitaries box at Olympic Stadium. The shocking salute elicited titters from London Mayor Boris Johnson and Duchess of Wales Camilia Parker-Bowles, who were seated nearby. The gesture also resembled an Olympic salute, a right-arm wave from antiquity that looks like the Hitler greeting.
"Tell me that guy wasn't doing a Nazi salute when the German team came out," tweeted Richard Gordon, a broadcaster with BBC Radio Scotland. "Surely not?"
Though the unidentified dignitary waved his left limb - the Nazi salute typically involved the right - he extended his arm nearly parallel to the ground and straightening his hand resembled the greeting that signaled fealty to the Fuehrer during the Third Reich.
Flashing the Nazi form of greeting has long been a criminal offense in Germany, which makes using such Hitler-era symbols punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine.
Source + Vid
Man seems to use Nazi salute to greet German Olympic athletes at opening ceremony
The Summer Olympics may be in England, but a gesture by at least one onlooker at Friday's opening extravaganza evoked images of Hitler's Germany.
An elderly man from the German delegation appeared to perform a wrong-handed Nazi salute as athletes from his nation paraded by a dignitaries box at Olympic Stadium. The shocking salute elicited titters from London Mayor Boris Johnson and Duchess of Wales Camilia Parker-Bowles, who were seated nearby. The gesture also resembled an Olympic salute, a right-arm wave from antiquity that looks like the Hitler greeting.
"Tell me that guy wasn't doing a Nazi salute when the German team came out," tweeted Richard Gordon, a broadcaster with BBC Radio Scotland. "Surely not?"
Though the unidentified dignitary waved his left limb - the Nazi salute typically involved the right - he extended his arm nearly parallel to the ground and straightening his hand resembled the greeting that signaled fealty to the Fuehrer during the Third Reich.
Flashing the Nazi form of greeting has long been a criminal offense in Germany, which makes using such Hitler-era symbols punishable by up to three years in prison or a fine.
Source + Vid
i need that queen elizabeth meme to get on this
damn they work fast
Edited at 2012-07-30 01:27 pm (UTC)
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi
QUOTE: He was mayor of Munich Olympic village in 1972 and offered himself in exchange for Israeli hostages during the Black September terrorist attack.
He volunteered to be held hostage for the release of the Israeli athletes back in 1972. THAT DESERVES THUMBS UP, even as I sideeye him for being part of the IOC regardless.
Edited at 2012-07-30 01:36 pm (UTC)
Edited at 2012-07-30 01:29 pm (UTC)
wtf
not every old man from Germany who uses his arms is a nazi
But srsly, thats just waving.
IA on the German and raising hand bit.
wow
He was just rocking out to the Bee Gees old man style. I guess an old guy can't have fun anymore.
Came here to say this.