Coffin draped in Nazi flag while mourners give Nazi salutes at funeral in Rome

At a recent funeral in Rome, a coffin was draped in a Nazi flag while mourners gave Nazi salutes, sparking outrage among Italian clergy.

The funeral was reportedly for neo-Fascist Forza Nuova Party member Alessia Augello.

In a statement, the Vicariate of Rome dubbed the incident as “serious, offensive, and unacceptable.”

A Roman Jewish community organisation reportedly said that the incident was “even more outrageous because it took place in front of a church,” adding: “It is unacceptable that a flag with a swastika can still be shown in public in this day and age, especially in a city that saw the deportation of its Jews by the Nazis and their fascist collaborators.”

Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.

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