“Germans are white.” A racist incident at Oktoberfest topples an Austrian official

A few days ago, an incident during the famous Oktoberfest festival in Munich sparked a controversy that spread to Austria, and ended with the resignation of a local official from an Austrian party.

The incident occurred when a video clip spread showing a vegetable farmer from the Austrian state of Tyrol and an official in the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) directing racist abuse at one of the festival's visitors.

The clip, which has received hundreds of thousands of views on social media, shows a vegetable farmer from the Hull region accompanied by a number of his colleagues while they were talking to a black content creator.

The content creator was repeatedly asked where he was from. Then the farmer pointed at him, saying that he should “go back to his homeland,” adding: “You are not at home here.” He continued that the "Germans" are the owners of the place here, and that they are "white-skinned."

Apology

The man confirmed to the Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation that he was the person shown in the video. He said that the clip was filmed during a private visit he made to the Oktoberfest festival and included statements that were "unacceptable, inappropriate, and inconsistent with the values ​​I believe in. I apologize for that. I made a mistake and I take responsibility for it."

The man announced his withdrawal from the party "with immediate effect." The Austrian People's Party also confirmed that he was relinquishing his position as vice president of the local branch of the party.

According to the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation, Cornelia Hagel, head of the Austrian People's Party at the regional level in Tyrol, criticized the statements contained in the video.

She stressed that the People's Party in Tyrol is clearly distancing itself from what was issued by the party official, stressing the need to stand together in the face of racism and division.

According to what was confirmed by the Munich police, it is currently being considered whether to open an investigation into the incident.

The Tyrol Vegetable Growers Association commented on the incident via a post on Instagram. She said, "We clearly distance ourselves from the racist statements contained in the video. They are unacceptable and contradict the values ​​of our association."