Nine NetworkA couple in Australia refused to remove the huge Nazi flag flying outside their home, despite living across the road from a Holocaust survivor.
The pair, known only as Bill and Cheryl, live in the small town of Beulah, but caused outrage across the country for refusing to take down the flag.
Watch the moment they were confronted by a camera crew from Nine News’ A Current Affair:
Not only is the sign obviously hugely offensive to millions of people, it was also raised just across the road from an elderly Holocaust survivor whose parents were both killed in concentration camps.
The foul-mouthed couple only moved into the house in the past 12 months and insisted they’d never had any complaints before.
When confronted by a camera crew from A Current Affair, Bill refused to discuss why the flag had been put up in the first place, instead just shouting at reporters to get away from his property with a pair of scissors in his hand.
He ranted:
Nobody has come here and even said anything about the f*cking flag, not even a neighbour, not even nobody so just f*ck off.
Other residents living in the street, however, said otherwise – many of them offered to remove the highly offensive flag themselves.
Nine NewsOne neighbour told the programme:
This is absolutely disgraceful they fly this bloody thing. I swear to God I was going to jump his fence, pull the thing down and burn it in his driveway. Everyone is furious about it.
And they’re flaunting it in the face of people who were in the concentration camps, it’s just disgraceful.
Another neighbour is said to have pleaded with Cheryl to take the flag down after news of its position travelled across the country.
She refused, allegedly responding with:
Good. I’ve put Beulah on the f*cking map then haven’t I?
Meanwhile, the couple’s 83-year-old neighbour, who lost both parents in a concentration camp, was said to be fearing for his life over the erection of the offensive Nazi flag.
Nine NewsAnother neighbour explained:
He’s still got the tattoo on his arm. Both his parents were gassed and he was next.
He’s quite upset, he wants to be left alone, he doesn’t want any trouble with anybody.
Local police initially pleaded with Bill and Cheryl to remove the flag following 400 complaints from the community, however they were unable to forcibly remove it as there are no laws prohibiting the display of offensive insignia.
The flag was finally been removed earlier today, January 16, however Bill is said to have refused to take it down himself, instead asking a police officer to do it.
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Emma Rosemurgey is an NCTJ trained Journalist who started her career by producing The Royal Rosemurgey newspaper in 2004, which kept her family up to date with the goings on of her sleepy north east village. She graduated from the University of Central Lancashire in Preston and started her career in regional newspapers before joining Tyla (formerly Pretty 52) in 2017, and progressing onto UNILAD in 2019.