A photo of the incident is circulating on social media. The school administration is responding promptly. What are the consequences for the young people?
During a visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp memorial, ninth-graders from Görlitz made a right-wing extremist gesture. The four posed in front of the former German extermination camp during an educational trip on March 13, performing the so-called white power salute and having their photo taken, a spokesperson for the Saxon State Office for Schools and Education confirmed. “Tag24” and “Bild” initially reported.
A photo of the incident is currently circulating on social media. A police report was filed this morning, a spokesperson announced. An investigation has begun. The hand gesture is used in the right-wing scene and, unlike the Hitler salute, is not banned.
According to the state office, the administration of the Scultetus High School reacted immediately and summoned the ninth-graders and their parents for meetings. The students received a principal’s warning and must complete community service in a workshop for people with disabilities. The principal stated that they have shown understanding.
According to the state office, no further incidents with a right-wing extremist background are known at the school or in the classroom. dpa