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Protester Under Investigation For Comparing French President To Hitler Over Coronavirus Restrictions

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A protester in France is facing legal trouble for a billboard depicting French President Emmanuel Macron as Nazi leader Adolf Hitler, NBC News reported.

Michel-Ange Flori displayed the billboard, which featured Macron in a Nazi uniform, swastika armband and sporting Hitler’s mustache, in the city of Toulon, NBC News reported. The armband included the acronym LREM — La République En Marche — Macron’s governing political party, while the slogan on the billboard translated to “Obey. Get vaccinated,” according to NBC News.

Flori announced Wednesday on Facebook that he would be going to the Toulon police station on Thursday for a hearing. He faces charges for “public insult,” after Toulon’s prosecutor’s office opened an investigation, France Bleu reported.

“I just learned that the complaint comes from the President of the Republic himself,” he wrote. “So in Macronism, one can make fun of the ass of the prophet, it is regarded as satire, but to caricature the president as a dictator is considered blasphemy.”

Macron has come under fire recently for his policies regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, Macron implemented what he labeled a “health pass.” French citizens must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test in order to enter public places including restaurants, movie theaters and long-distance trains. (RELATED: Man Who Slapped French President Sentenced To Four Months in Prison)

“You’ve understood – vaccination is not immediately obligatory for everyone, but we’re going to extend the health pass to the maximum, in order to push a maximum of you to go and get vaccinated,” Macron said of the measures.