The police have identified and interrogated a man who allegedly made the Nazi salute during an anti-immigration protest in Valletta last month.

Roughly 40 people had held what the police described as a "spontaneous" protest in parliament square, just metres away from a much larger demonstration in solidarity with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement. 

Police officers kept the two sides separate as members of the counter-protest chanted “this is my country not yours". 

One of the anti-immigration protesters was seen raising his right hand into the air with a straightened hand, in what appeared to be a Nazi salute. Seconds later, a fellow protester who spots the man quickly pulls the arm down and appears to tell him off. 

On Monday, the police told Times of Malta that "a person who allegedly made the Nazi salute during the spontaneous protest has been identified and duly interviewed".

Investigations are ongoing, the spokesperson said. Police have yet to charge the man with a crime. 

Questions about whether action will be taken against the anti-immigration protestors for not having a demonstration permit remained unanswered.

Under local laws, anyone found guilty of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour against a person or group on the basis of their race, gender or another such characteristic can be jailed for six to 18 months.

The sit-in in Valletta was held on June 8. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

Protests have taken place the world over since the murder of George Floyd in the US. The unarmed black man died in Minnesota after an officer knelt on his neck for several minutes.

These demonstrations and other initiatives, such as a new local Facebook group called ‘Voices Against Racism’, as well as more awareness of the work carried out by the Police Hate Crime and Speech Unit, could be behind a recent local spike in hate crime reports.

Following the local demonstrations, Prime Minister Robert Abela had condemned "all any hate speech, discourse and booing".

"We are better than that as a people. I call for calm and to understand the realities of these people," he had added.