Police in Germany were caught on camera arresting Santa Claus at the Stralsund Christmas market on Monday:
#Police arrest Santa Claus for not wearing a mask at #Stralsund Christmas market.#SantaClaus #arrest #Germany #ChristmasMarket pic.twitter.com/5tsCoqbKQA
— Dr. David Lütke (@DrLuetke) December 13, 2021
Fact check: This is not the *real* Santa Claus, mind you:
𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
Please be advised that a #FactCheck has shown that the person depicted in the video most likely is NOT the real #SantaClaus but instead an impersonator. Thus this video is likely #FakeNews.Further: No reindeer was harmed or detained at any time!
— Dr. David Lütke (@DrLuetke) December 14, 2021
Anyway, Police in Stralsund defended the arrest in a “Faktencheck” of their own. Translation via Twitter:
At a non-registered meeting in #Stralsund a person in #Weihnachtsmann costume Santa Claus refused to give his personal details yesterday.
Those in attendance filmed it. We have a fact check on the video for you.
Bei einer nicht angemeldeten Versammlung in #Stralsund weigerte sich gestern eine Person im #Weihnachtsmann Kostüm 🎅 seine Personalien anzugeben.
Anwesende filmten das. Wir haben einen Faktencheck zu dem Video für euch.
Mehr Infos:
ℹ https://t.co/6Ln5oyBsQT*jf pic.twitter.com/IdJBZQNDRP
— Polizei Stralsund (@Polizei_HST) December 14, 2021
Apparently, the non-registered Santa was part of a group protesting anti-Covid measures in the country. Translation via Google:
Around 6 p.m., around 65 people with posters and candles gathered in Stralsund’s Old Market without registering. These apparently expressed their opinions against the current Corona measures and a vaccination requirement.
And the Santa Claus impersonator was arrested for failing to give cops his ID:
There was also a person in a Santa Claus costume among those in attendance. The police were also surprised that Santa Claus does not obey the law and also expresses his opinion with a poster. The 47-year-old from Stralsund was obviously an actor in the gathering. He was not used as Santa Claus at the Christmas market there.
According to the current status of the investigation, he refused to give his name and should therefore be accompanied to the patrol car to determine the identity. These actions were filmed by those present and published on some social networks.
In the course of further investigations, a complaint was made against the 47-year-old German on suspicion of resisting law enforcement officers and the insult.
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According to cops, Santa was released but “is now at large again” because he’s a repeat protestor, or something:
After the man’s identity was known, he was released from police measures at around 7:15 p.m. and is now at large again. It then turned out that the 47-year-old was already suspected of having committed crimes against the Assembly Act in connection with demonstrations critical of the corona.
Have they checked the North Pole? Maybe he’s hiding up there. . .
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