Olympic Nazi': Fans Outraged After Spectator Gives Alleged Nazi Salute to Black Stewards

A Lithuanian basketball fan has caught the attention of international media after allegedly making a Nazi salute to two black Olympic stewards. Fans and nearby police officers noticed the man's offensive gesture, which has caused outrage and claims that police should have acted to arrest or remove the individual responsible for the act.

The Daily Mail, who dubbed the man the "Olympic Nazi," has more about the incident, which was caught on camera by a nearby English couple:

While the police insist they are investigating, anti-racism charities have reacted angrily because they believe officers should have acted quicker and removed the fan from the venue.

The man was part of a rowdy group of Lithuanian fans who stood on their feet chanting loudly throughout the first part of their country’s opening basketball game against Argentina on Sunday night.

Spectators said they appeared to have been drinking and had moved over to a section of the stand right alongside the opposing team’s fans.

The salute apparently followed a request by the two stewards, who purportedly approached with police officers. They had asked the rowdy group to sit down, so that people sitting behind them could both see and enjoy the game. The purportedly racist salute then followed.

Witnesses claim that the stewards remained calm, professional and level-headed throughout the ordeal. But some lamented the fact that the police didn't remove the man or do anything following what they interpreted to be a racist gesture.

Ged Grebby, the head of the anti-racism campaign Show Racism the Red Card, believes that the man should have been thrown out for his actions. According to the Daily Mail, Grebby thinks the police failed to act.

"It is a criminal offense. We can’t just let things like this go. It is the kind of behavior that they should act upon immediately. We encourage the police to take action now," he said.

This is the second alleged Hitler salute to hit the 2012 Olympics. The Mirror has more:

Just two days earlier, a German Olympic official caused outrage after appearing to give a Nazi salute during the opening ceremony.

Walther Tröger was caught on camera with his arm extended in what appeared to be the gesture used by Adolf Hitler in the 1940s.

However, Germans defended the honorary member of the International Olympic Committee, pointing out that the Nazi salute traditionally used the right arm, whereas Mr Tröger gestured with his left.

Do you think the police should have removed or arrested the first individual who allegedly used the gesture against the stewards? Let us know in the comments section, below.

(H/T: Daily Mail)