Cops watch as fan insults rabbi

File picture (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

File picture (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Published Aug 31, 2012

Share

Vienna - A Vienna rabbi was targeted with anti-Semitic insults by a football fan while police officers stood by and did nothing, police confirmed Friday.

The Jewish cleric said the incident took place Thursday in Vienna's city centre, ahead of the Europa League match between Rapid Vienna and the Greek team PAOK.

A fan insulted him and greeted him with “Heil Hitler,” his arm raised in a Nazi salute, he charged.

The rabbi said he asked police officers who were watching from a few metres away to intervene, but they just said: “Come on, it's a football night.”

A police spokesman said investigations were underway to find the officers and the football fan, who may have been a German national supporting PAOK, according to unconfirmed reports.

The incident took place two days after a rabbi was attacked and seriously injured in Berlin by unknown youths.

Rapid and PAOK were sanctioned by the European football regulator UEFA Tuesday after fans created crowd trouble at a game in Saloniki last week. - Sapa-dpa

Related Topics: