German police confiscate poster: "We had our Hitler, now you have yours."

[Kire]

German Protesters Call Bush 'No. 1 Terrorist'
Wed Feb 23, 2005 12:54 PM ET
By Alexandra Hudson

MAINZ, Germany (Reuters) - About 12,000 protesters, many carrying banners reading "Bush go home," "No. 1 Terrorist" and "Warmonger," marched through the German city of Mainz on Wednesday, but were mostly kept away from the visiting U.S. president.

The official rally, which was twice as big as expected, never got within earshot of President Bush, but a small group of protestors rushed toward his car as he left to visit a U.S. base in nearby Wiesbaden. Police wrestled several demonstrators to the ground and led them away in handcuffs, a Reuters witness said.

Bush was visiting Germany for the first time since the 2003 Iraq war, which Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and most Germans opposed.

"I'm disgusted by the war in Iraq Bush started that has cost thousands of civilian lives," said Thomas Odenweller, 49, a computer technician. "Now he's trying to normalize relations with Europe. It must be stopped."

More: http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-02-23T175428Z_01_L2347198_RTRIDST_0_INTERNATIONAL-BUSH-GERMANY-PROTEST-DC.XML

[Rapcw]

1. I believe that was because

any sign of Hitler or the Nazis is banned under German Law? Is that correct? Because I know they can't show swastikas in videogames over there. Can someone who lives there please fill me in?

[K-W]

2. Nazism is illegal in Germany

I wouldnt be surprised if such imagery were not included in the laws.

[Tom Kitten]

3. amazing how

60 years has turned the table 180 degrees

[dweller]

4. the rest of the story...con't...

Other U.S. presidents have also been given a hero's welcome in Germany, although the younger
Bush has never been popular. When he visited Berlin in May 2002, some 20,000 demonstrators
took to the streets.

"When John F. Kennedy came to Germany he drove through cheering crowds," said Mark
Reichelt, 20, a student. "Now Bush is here and will drive through empty streets."


i'd love a pic of the confiscated poster.
dp

[MnFats]

5. yeah, Nazi symbols are banned. Completely.

Free speech or not, you can kinda understand why.

[Disturbed]

6. Uh, I am confused about this.

Was the poster confiscated or just the the sign? haha

[Dirk39]

9. Hello from Germany,

sorry, but this has nothing to do with the banning of Nazi-Symobls in Germany. It wasn't even used as a pretext. I get the irony, but on the other hand, I refuse to get the irony.

Here are some pictures from the protests in Mainz.

http://germany.indymedia.org/2005/02/107837.shtml

Dirk

[lonestarnot]

7. Oh we have a bushitler alright. No doubt about it! n/t

They can make them tear up the sign, but we know the truth.

[earth mom]

8. I just LOVE these people! nt

[Spike from MN]

10. Thank you Germany!

Excellent protest. Hey, I have an idea. Since we helped you get rid of Hitler, any chance you can come over here and get rid of Bush for us? We'd be EXTREMELY grateful. I figured it couldn't hurt to ask anyway.