Lazio fan arrested for Hitler salute as supporters sing fascist songs in Munich beer hall

MUNICH — One Italian fan among about 100 Lazio soccer supporters who sang fascist songs in the beer hall where Adolf Hitler founded the Nazi party was arrested and fined for giving a Hitler salute.

Munich police spokesman Michael Marienwald told The Associated Press on Tuesday that an 18-year-old from Italy was issued a four-figure fine after police were called to the Hofbräuhaus beer hall late Monday.

Marienwald said the police were looking at further action against more individuals after a large group of Lazio fans were filmed in the beer hall singing about the Blackshirts, the paramilitary wing of Italy’s National Fascist Party.

In a video published by the La Repubblica newspaper, the fans finished the song by chanting “Duce! Duce! Duce!” in reference to former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, an ally of Hitler. The fans appeared to be giving fascist salutes.

Hitler founded the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, better known as the Nazi party, with a speech in the same beer hall in 1920.

The Lazio fans were in Munich for their team’s Champions League game against Bayern Munich. Bayern went on to win the second leg of their last-16 tie 3-0 to reach the quarterfinals with a 3-1 win on aggregate.