Austria goes ape over man’s bananas flag
The fierce-looking eagles on the banners Austrian builder Markus Voglreiter is flying in the town of Obertrum may look similar to the bird on his country’s flag.
But the bananas his eagles are clutching were enough of a departure to get Voglreiter charged with “vilification of symbols of the republic.”
Voglreiter had the satirical banners made because he thinks Austria’s repeatedly failed or postponed attempts to elect a president make the country look like a banana republic.
He was ordered to take them down, but raised them again after charges were dropped.
Voglreiter isn’t worried about facing new charges. He says there are enough differences between the state symbol and his eagles for a credible defence.
One bird even smokes a cigar.