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Neo-Nazi assaults US national for speaking English
Dec 20, 2007, 17:22 GMT
Gelsenkirchen, Germany - German police said Thursday they are seeking a man, believed to be a neo-Nazi, who beat up a US national because he was speaking English in a McDonald's restaurant.
The victim, 54, was taken to hospital with serious injuries after the incident on Saturday, which has not previously been reported.
The victim had been talking to his female partner in English in the fast-food eatery in the industrial city of Gelsenkirchen when the stranger interrupted and demanded they speak in German.
The girlfriend replied that her partner only knew a little German. The assailant, described as having short blonde hair, used an epithet, calling him an 'Englander,' and said, 'This is Germany. German must be spoken.'
After the assailant said 'Heil Hitler' and did a Nazi salute, the victim replied - in English - that he would call the police. The German then head-butted the US national, kicked him repeatedly as he lay on the ground, and fled.
Police issued closed-circuit TV pictures of the incident from the restaurant security camera and appealed for some of the many other people who had queued at the McDonald's counter at the time to come forward as witnesses.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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