Elon Musk's Puppet Hanged Amid Allegations of 'Nazi Salute'; What Does This Gesture Mean?

Washington (The Uttam Hindu): During a speech at U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony, billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk faced widespread criticism for a hand gesture he made with accusations of him performing a Nazi salute. On Tuesday, students from an Italian university hung a mannequin of Musk upside down in Milan’s Piazzale Loreo, the infamous location where fascist dictator Benito Mussolini's body was brutally treated in 1945 and hung upside down alongside others.

Despite the backlash, Musk dismissed the reactions stating that he would rather focus on more "effective tricks." He remarked that the frequent "everyone is Hitler" attack was tiresome. According to media reports, a student group named Cambiare Rotta (Change the Curriculum) claimed responsibility for the demonstration. They shared images of the hanging mannequin, made from a garbage-filled sack with a printout of Musk’s face. "There’s always room in Piazzale Loreto, Elon..." the group wrote, drawing comparisons between Musk and the notorious fascist leader.

The Nazi salute, also known as the "Heil Hitler salute" was used as an official greeting in Nazi Germany. It involves raising the right arm to shoulder height with the palm facing downward at about a 45-degree angle. This gesture bears similarities to the salute in ancient Rome. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, aiming to bring Italy back to the Roman Empire era, adopted the salute in 1925. The Nazi Party in Germany officially adopted the Nazi salute in 1926, although its use within the party began as early as 1921. After World War II, Germany banned any display of the salute or Nazi symbols with violations carrying a penalty of up to three years in prison. Austria also passed laws against Nazi symbols and the party shortly after the war. In January 2024, Australia imposed a ban on Nazi salutes, the swastik, and the SS symbols associated with Hitler’s Schutzstaffel (SS) paramilitary group. In countries like Canada, France and Switzerland, performing a Nazi salute is considered hate speech. However, in the U.S. the First Amendment of the Constitution protects freedom of expression, meaning there is no ban on the salute, even though it can promote hate speech.