A video has gone viral of German police officers arresting Santa Claus at a Christmas market in Stralsund. At the same time, around 65 people had gathered at the market to peacefully protest Germany’s strict COVID restrictions. Santa refused to wear a mask or provide identification, leading to police forcefully arresting him in front of children.
The police issued the following statement (translated): “Among those present, there was also a person disguised as Santa Claus. Police were also surprised to see that Santa Claus was breaking the law and was also expressing his opinion through a poster. The 47-year-old from Stralsund was clearly a player in the rally. He was not hired as Santa Claus in the Christmas market in this city.”
Santa was released later in the evening. Nothing spreads holiday cheer like aggressively arresting a man dressed at Santa Claus at a Christmas village in front of families with children. I think it is safe to say these police officers were put on the naughty list. Germany has been attempting to phase out coal, but given this behavior, Scholz should consider increasing production for the holiday season.
