Friday, March 29, 2024
In BriefNazi slur German writer targeted in Highland village with spoof election posters

Nazi slur German writer targeted in Highland village with spoof election posters

A GERMAN writer who compared the SNP with the Nazis has been mocked in his Highland home village with fake election posters.

Reiner Luyken has been targeted in at least three professionally-printed banners put up on the roadside in Achiltibuie.

Together with a picture of the journalist and a SNP logo, they state: “Reiner Luyken says: ‘Vote SNP for a fairer Scotland’!”

The posters are the latest skirmish in a long-running feud between Mr Luyken and some of his neighbours in the Highland village.

The poster, featuring Luyken
The poster, featuring Luyken

The respected writer for Die Zeit newspaper complained that local youngsters had goose-stepped past him wearing Hitler moustaches.

The 51-year-old later wrote in his German paper – which has a circulation of 500,000 – that the SNP were “modern national socialism lite”.

Earlier this year, Mr Luyken was told on his Facebook page to “f*** off back to Germany where you could be a major participant in the Hitler youth”.

Now, mystery locals in Achiltibuie have strung up 10ft long tarpaulin banners at three locations in the community of just 300 souls.

Pictures of the banners have also appeared on local social media sites.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “So somebody’s gone to town. I thought they were Photoshopped at first myself but it turns out they are real.

“It’s to do with his almost obsession with the SNP and the referendum.

“I don’t think he’ll be upset by it. I certainly hope not. It’s meant in good spirit.”

The resident added: “The residents are seeing the funny side because they get it all the time in his books or whatever.

“They all get a mention at some point or another.

“It seems his main source of journalistic material is his neighbours.”

Mr Luyken posted a photo of one of the posters on his own social media account.

He wrote: “Our SNP friends know whose opinions really count, so they have asked for my endorsement which I gladly gave in exchange for a considerable sum of money out of their slush fund.

“United we stand, rich and poor!”

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