A couple wore swastika face masks to a Minnesota Walmart, on Saturday, July 25. Raphaela Mueller, filmed the incident in a video which has now gone viral, evoking reactions from the public to politicians.
The unnamed 64-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man were given trespass notices by Police and told they would be arrested if they returned to the store, according to the Star Tribune.
In the viral video, Mueller’s partner, Benjamin Ruesch, tells the couple ‘You’re sick’ to which the woman responds with swearing gestures, claiming that she’s ‘not a Nazi’. In fact, the woman is heard saying that the reason behind wearing the mask is for political purposes, ‘if you vote for Biden, you’re going to be living in Nazi Germany’.
Mueller captioned the video explaining the discrimination her grandmother had to undergo, and emphasises how the swastika symbolises hate:
‘I was born and raised in Germany, and I grew up hearing about my great-grandmother who fought in the underground against the first wave of Nazis in the 1930s and 40s. Let me make this abundantly clear once and for all – THE SWASTIKA IS A HATE SYMBOL AND YOU DO NOT FLY THE FLAG, YOU DO NOT WEAR THE SYMBOL ANYWHERE ON YOUR BODY, YOU DO NOT USE OR DEFEND THIS SYMBOL, EVER. END OF STORY.‘
Mueller, who shared the video via Facebook, has received support from the public with the video accumulating 2.3k shares, as well as from prominent politicians such as Governor Tim Walz.
Delia Garcia, a spokeswoman for Walmart, also expressed the ‘unacceptable’ nature of the couple’s actions according to The Post. Garcia also reassured customers of the ‘safe and comfortable shopping environment’ that the store strives to create for all. Associated Press reported that the couple has since been banned from all Walmart stores for at least a year.
With hope, the couple will understand the consequences of their actions and refrain from wearing offensive masks again. If you found this shocking, check out ‘New Neo-Nazi Stickers Found Spread Across London As Tension Rises‘.
