A German court rejected the appeal of a man who shouted “death to Zionists” during a rally in the town of Essen, a German blog reported on Tuesday.
The original, groundbreaking ruling was handed down against
German Turk Taylan Can (24) in January for incitement to hatred against
a segment of the population.
Judge Gauri Sastry said Can’s use of the word “Zionist” at a
protest against Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip was a “code
for Jew,” and therefore counted as incitement against an ethnic
minority.
The protest where Can shouted the slogans was held in July
2014, during the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Protesters at the rally were also seen giving Nazi salutes. According to
German newspaper Die Welt, at least 49 criminal complaints
were filed, though 45 were later dismissed by police. The report also
said that the anti-Israel demonstrators attacked members of a
counter-protest.
Can argued at the Essen court in January that while his
hatred toward Zionists was real, it was not explicitly directed against
Jews, a claim which the court ultimately denied.
The German law for incitement against a segment against the
population is often used in conjunction with cases concerning Holocaust
denial.
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