The mayor of Marshall, Bob Byrnes, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. and the president of the local Jewish Community Relations Council responded to the video of the couple that went viral on social media.
The couple has since been cited by the police and banned from Walmart for at least a year.
Marshall Police Sgt. Jason Buysse said that his department issued a notice of trespass to the two shoppers, aged 59 and 64, and that the couple left the store without incident, local news platform KARE reported.
The trespass notice prevents the couple from visiting any Walmart store for at least a year. Walmart told Newsweek on Sunday: “What happened at our store in Marshall, MN is unacceptable.
“We strive to provide a safe and comfortable shopping environment for all our customers and will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment in any aspect of our business.”
Mayor Bob Byrnes responded to the incident and said in a statement on Monday: “The incident that played out on Saturday was just a small snapshot and is not reflective of the entire picture of Marshall.
“We were surprised it unfolded at all anywhere in Minnesota. It’s unfortunate that it happened in our community.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a tweet on Sunday: “Disgraceful, plain and simple. Thank you to the bystanders who stood up to this unacceptable, hate-fueled behavior.”
In the video of the couple, the woman says she is wearing a mask because America will be like Nazi Germany if Joe Biden wins the presidential election.
The couple was confronted by Raphaela Mueller, who uploaded the video to social media and said: “I was born and raised in Germany, and I grew up hearing about my great-grandmother who fought in the underground against the first wave of Nazis in the 1930s and 40s.
“Let me make this abundantly clear once and for all—the swastika is a hate symbol and you do not fly the flag, you do not wear the symbol anywhere on your body, you do not use or defend this symbol, ever. End of story.”
Steve Hunegs, president of the local Jewish Community Relations Council, told CBS Local: “It was a jarring sight to see someone wearing a swastika on their mask in Marshall.
“People are trying to express themselves in a way that makes their point but we say it’s wrong, it’s inappropriate, insults the memories of WWII veterans, insults the memories of Holocaust victims.”
However, Hunegs believes good can come from the incident because “we have an opportunity to educate.”
