During a performance of «Fiddler on the roof» in Baltimore (MD) the man got up, raised his hand in a Nazi salute and shouted «Heil Hitler, Heil trump», forcing some viewers to «prepare for the worst.»
Anti-Semitic cries prompted visitors to Hippodrome Theatre to run to the exits, fearing that this man may start shooting, eyewitnesses told local media.
«I’ll be honest, I was expecting to hear the shot. I thought, «Starts»,» said the Baltimore Sun’s rich Scherr Scherr, who posted on Twitter a video about this incident with the comment «Sick, sad world.»
Video quickly became viral, gathering over 2 days 1.3 million hits, nearly 17 thousand reactions, 10 thousand posts and 12.5 thousand reviews.
Sick, sad world. A man stands at intermission of tonight’s performance of Fiddler in the Baltimore and yells, “Heil Hitler,” along with pro-Trump references. pic.twitter.com/slDcPwF7re
— Rich Scherr (@writerguyRich) November 15, 2018
Witnessed the incident was also the news editor for Voice of America Samit Verma. He told NBC News that at first heard nothing, but then clearly saw that the man on the balcony made the Nazi salute and shouted «Heil Hitler», while people headed for the exits during intermission.
«Some of the ushers, all women, ran in, and soon after that there were security guards, which he accompanied, told NBC News Verma. All around me were in shock from the experience, and some people were in tears.»
Another visitor 45-lenae Kelly Logan Gould said the old lady behind her, hearing the screams, had rushed under the seat. According to the witness, the woman got hysterical, but she «fully expected that he would pull out a gun.»
Representatives of the Hippodrome Theatre has confirmed that a man was taken from the theatre shortly after his antics.
«We do not tolerate such behavior, which we saw last night during intermission at «Fiddler», – wrote the press service of the theater on Twitter. – Our site is a glorious tradition – to exchange experience with people from all walks of life, and we will continue that tradition.»
We do not tolerate behavior like we saw last night during intermission at “Fiddler.” Security handled the situation swiftly. Our venue has a proud tradition of providing shared experiences to people from all walks of life and we will continue that tradition.
— Hippodrome Theatre (@HippodromeBway) November 15, 2018
The theater staff has requested the personal information of the rowdy, to issue a permanent ban.
Police responded to the incident but have not arrested the man. Officers approached him and his girlfriend outside the theatre. According to the police report, a drunken man identified as 59-year-old Anthony Delunas. The police Department continues to investigate this case.
Delunas told the police that the final scene of the first act of the musical «reminded him of his hatred of [President] Donald Trump», what caused his outbreak.
«Fiddler on the roof» is a piece of music, awarded the Tony, which tells of a Jewish family in a Russian village at the turn of the twentieth century. The play, first performed in 1964, was revived on Broadway in 2015 and is currently touring the country.
The incident occurred less than a month after the shooter-anti-Semite killed 11 parishioners during the service in the synagogue Tree of Life in Pittsburgh. The mass shooting was the most deadly attack on Jewish community in US history.
Neo-Nazi and Holocaust denier scored more than 56 thousand votes in the midterm elections in Congress
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