Brazilian authorities will investigate video of crowd doing apparent Nazi salute
The Brazilian government announced Monday that it would open an official investigation into the video showing a group of people waving white handkerchiefs in a Nazi salute.
The government said it would not name the people who made and distributed the apparently racist video, but in response to the furor it said it “does not allow for the dissemination of this video in public spaces.”
The comments came one day after President Michel Temer announced he would order government agencies to report to him any “fascistic” moves. He said he would refer the matter to the attorney and constitutional court.
“We are not going to get rid of people who disseminate hatred,” Temer told reporters in the presidential palace. “I do not want to get rid of any citizen, but I will do everything to stop this fascist spirit,” he added.
Temer later asked for federal police to investigate the people who appeared in a photo taken by a local Facebook user, who posted a video of the group holding white handkerchiefs.
“I want to know why these people were in this photo,” Temer told reporters.
He referred the matter to the attorney general’s office, the presidential aide who is the prosecutor general, and the federal police, which is the public police force.
Brazil’s far-right Brazilian Death Metal Band posted the video of the white-hooded group, which was shot in April in the city of Goiania. The band, also known as Death Metal Brasil, drew intense criticism for the video.
The video has since been removed from Facebook, but it prompted the government to launch its investigation. The photo was posted on a Facebook application used by students. It was also shared by people who appeared in other photos of the group in the video.
Brazilian Death Metal Band member Daniela Ribeiro said the video was a mistake made by a photographer who did not realize it was a protest against president Temer.
“It’s the first time this photo was taken, and we didn’t understand that he was going to take a picture with his cellphone,