Czech documentary shows illegal Nazi salute being given at concert by xenophobic Ortel band
Last night as part of its “168 Hours” program, Czech Television broadcast footage from a concert by the Ortel band in the Czech town of Frýdek-Místek during which some fans give the Nazi salute and shout the Nazi greeting “Sieg heil”. The footage was captured by documentary filmmaker Vít Klusák.
“This message is for Lucie Vondráčková and Lucie Bílá and the applauding audience at Slavík and for the organizers of that beautiful contest: I recently filmed a concert by the Ortel band in Frýdek-Místek and the Nazi salute was given repeatedly there in the vestibule of the venue and people were shouting “Jews and Gypsies drop dead!” Klusák wrote shortly after this year’s results were announced for the popular music contest “Czech Nightingale” (Český slavík), in which Ortel won second place for a second year in a row. It is precisely that footage that Czech Television has now broadcast.
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“We decided to conceal the identity of audience members who were giving the Nazi salute and otherwise expresssing themselves in a racist way, we are not interested in persecuting individual idiots, but in showing the hateful atmosphere of this optimistic, patriotic production,” the filmmaker wrote in response to last night’s program. In addition to the Nazi salute and shouts of “Sieg heil”, “White race”, “White Power” or racist abuse against Muslims and Romani people, the broadcast footage also includes an excerpt from one of Ortel’s lyrics.
“Each of us makes his own luck. We have received the special gift of following the leader,” the xenophobic Ortel band sings in what its fans probably interpret as a reference to the late Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.
“Personally, I emphasize the moment here when one of the guys giving the Nazi salute says he is planning for everybody to go to Mír Street [in Frýdek-Místek] after the concert. When asked why, he is amazed and says: ‘That’s where the Gypsy ghetto is, right?’ ” the filmmaker has written.
Romani singer Radek Banga recently protested Ortel receiving a Czech Nightingale award, as have other performers such as Ben Cristovao, Anna K., Marta Jandová, Pekař, Iva Pazderková and moderátor Jan Tuna. Celebrities Lucie Bílá or Lucie Vondráčková, on the other hand, have said the Ortel band seems fine to them.
During the “168 Hours” program, support was expressed for Banga by the singers Dan Bárta, Vojtěch Dyk and Vladimír 518. Both Radek Banga and his brother Patrik have become the target of racist attacks by fans of the Ortel band after his protest against the xenophobic group.
The editorial offices of news server Romea.cz, which broke the story of Banga’s protest gesture after it occurred during the live broadcast of the awards ceremony, have been verbally threatened with arson by racists.
