This archive report was first published on 7 May 2021.
Germany's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, has urged authorities to stop protesters using the Nazis' yellow star, a symbol of the persecution of Jews during World War Two.
Some protesters have replaced the word 'Jude' (Jew) with the phrase 'ungeimpft' (unvaccinated), equating COVID-19 restrictions with the persecution of Europe's Jewish population.
The yellow Star of David has also been seen in protests in London, drawing condemnation from the Auschwitz Museum and the Israeli ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Mr. Klein said he hoped German cities would follow Munich in banning the use of the yellow star, which was made mandatory by the Nazis throughout occupied territories during World War Two.
Anti-lockdown protesters argue that the ruling liberal establishment is violating their personal freedom and exaggerating the COVID-19 health risks, but the head of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, Josef Schuster, has condemned the comparison to the Holocaust.
Anti-Semitic offences in Germany rose to 2,300 last year, with the government's commissioner saying it was frightening but unsurprising, as in times of crisis people are more open to 'irrational explanations, including anti-Semitic stereotypes.'
Published on May 7, 2021
