Neo‑Nazis tried to storm Sofia hotel housing Italian Jewish teens
Hotel security footage shows skinheads chanting "Sieg Heil" and blocking entrances while dozens of Italian Jewish teenagers were inside.
A group of neo-Nazis attempted to force their way into a hotel in Sofia, Bulgaria, where a delegation of young Italian Jews was staying, the Jewish Community in Rome reported on August 4, 2026.
Video shows Nazi salutes and confrontations
Viktor Fadlun, president of the organization, said hotel security footage captured “disgusting provocations,” including the Nazi salute “Sieg Heil” chanted by skinheads wearing black T‑shirts with skulls. The images, he said, show an attempt to intimidate the teenagers gathered inside.
"They tried to enter the hotel where dozens of teenagers were staying, including members of the Jewish community in Rome. There were long, tense moments because, after the police intervention, the skinheads returned and again blocked the entrances, threatening and shouting at our children. Our children do not have the freedom to travel across Europe without being exposed to violence and verbal aggression from antisemites," Fadlun said.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani expressed solidarity with those affected. "I condemn this latest episode of anti-Semitism, a scourge we must fight, a form of hatred and discrimination that must be eradicated," he wrote on his X profile, adding that he is in close contact with Fadlun and the Jewish Community in Rome.
Local police intervened at the hotel and temporarily dispersed the group, but Fadlun said some assailants returned afterward and again blocked the entrances, prolonging a tense situation that alarmed the teenagers and their chaperones.
The incident highlights renewed concerns about anti‑Jewish harassment during youth trips in Europe and has prompted Italian authorities to follow up with Bulgarian counterparts about security measures for visiting groups.
Photo: press material from the event
