Deplorable video footage has emerged online of a bystander brazenly claiming to ‘love Hitler’ in front of pro-Israeli protesters in Manchester city centre.
A number of protests have broken out outside the Kedem Cosmetics shop, who allegedly sell Israeli products, on King Street over the past three weeks, in response to the on-going Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Footage has now emerged of a young man seemingly antagonizing pro-Israeli supporters at one of the protests, though it is unclear which one.
The man tells stunned protestors: “I love Hitler.”
In a bizarre statement, he then declares his love for others, including former Manchester United player, Cristiano Ronaldo.
”I love Ronaldo, I love Hitler, I love other people.” He was then asked why he loved Hitler, to which he said: “I just love the way he is. I just love him.”
He then proclaimed twice: “Big up my boy Hitler.”
When challenged, the un-named man stated: “I don’t care. I’ll big up my boy Hitler.”
A protester standing with pro-Israel supporters then shouts back: “You can say you love Hitler but that is clearly racial incitement against Jews.”
Scott Anderson, a protester and spokesman for Manchester Palestine Action, told MM the bystander had to be removed by police officers.
He said: “When he came and starting spouting all that rubbish we asked police to remove him. We apologised to everyone afterwards.
“We warned others to look out for him because we don’t want people to use our protests as a platform for those kind of views.
“Our protest is about the Israeli government, it’s not about race or religion. We don’t condone anyone coming and behaving like that to our protestors.”
Penny Hicks, Convenor of Stop the War Coalition, says the actions of one ‘obnoxious’ bystander simply serves to detract from the real issue at hand.
Over the past few weeks, Stop the War Coalition have been rallying for everyone opposed to the conflict to join them on various marches, to remember the suffering of the children of Gaza.
“This film captures the views of one person, seemingly a bystander watching a protest,” she told MM. “It’s an obnoxious and provocative statement. He enjoyed the attention.
“I think it’s regrettable it receives any media attention when 1,000s march through our own city, 150,000 march in London and 100,000s march in cities across the globe against the massacre of the people of Gaza.
“Manchester has 100,000s who support the Palestinians’ right to live freely in their land and 1,000s have joined with the rest of the world to publicly say that. Let’s not focus on one bystander.”
