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| Europe |
| "Neo-Nazi gestures man" who hit English speaker gives himself up |
| 2007-12-25 |
| A man who shouted Heil Hitler and beat up a US national in a McDonald's for speaking English surrendered Friday to German police. The suspect, who was remanded in custody, faces charges of assault and using neo-Nazi gestures. The victim, 54, has required two operations for injuries to his leg after he was head butted to the ground and savagely kicked inside the restaurant last Saturday. Police said the suspect, 31, phoned police and admitted the offence after security camera images of the incident were published in newspapers in the factory city of Gelsenkirchen, western Germany. He did not offer any reason for the attack, saying only that he had been drunk and lost his temper. Police say he interrupted a conversation in English between the victim and his female partner. The girlfriend explained that her friend knew little German and the American asked, "What's your problem?" The attacker described as having short blonde hair, used an expletive to call the victim an "Englander," said, "This is Germany. German must be spoken," and assaulted him. The restaurant was crowded at the time. The suspect has a record of assault and is currently on suspension after a theft conviction, but has no record of neo-Nazi activity, the police said. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #6 There are idiots like that everywhere -- Stateside, too. But when one talks in front of others in a language they don't understand, they tend to assume they're being talked about, negatively. Which is why the trailing daughters and I spoke German outside the house when we lived over there... and why we *always* got caught when we talked about others in German over here. :-( |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2007-12-25 23:29 |
| #5 Bow down to the "master race" and use German when you super-size your McNugget order. Remember to choose honey-mustard and goose-step to the condiment bar for some napkins and a straw. |
| Posted by: Super Hose 2007-12-25 18:24 |
| #4 I remember 1975 entering the McDonald's at the Bahnhof in Munchen, and in my best almost German asking for Ein Vertal Funder, Ein Grosse Pommes Fries, Ein Grosse Cokacola. The clerk behind in the counter replied in clear American-English, "You want that here or to go?". |
| Posted by: Procopius2k 2007-12-25 09:15 |
| #3 Bet he wouldn't have done that if the guy had been speaking Arabic. But then Arabic is the new German. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2007-12-25 06:07 |
| #2 An Englander visiting a McDonalds = Culinary Bounder. |
| Posted by: Thomas Woof 2007-12-25 05:52 |
| #1 National Socialism aside, from a culinary standpoint, an "Englander" visiting a McDonalds in Deutschland... probably deserves a head butt. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2007-12-25 04:52 |