BONO gave a provocative Nazi salute during a concert in Paris as the U2 frontman mocked gains made by the Swedish populist party, Sweden Democrats, in Sunday’s general election.
Performing as his evil alter-ego 'Mr. MacPhisto', the Irish rocker threw his right arm up twice while shouting “Åkesson!” – referring to the leader of the right-wing nationalist party, Jimmie Åkesson.
“I’m just back from Sweden,” Bono's character drawled on stage. "I didn’t know how much I liked the Swedish. Tall, blonde, blue-eyed… boring.
"It appears the Swedes are beginning to discover their Aryan potential. Oh, yes!
"I love elections. I love balloons. I love parties that get out of hand."
The Irishman then waved his hand in front of his mouth in an exaggerated yawn.
BONO & U2 and sick individuals.... insulting Swedish people, calling them white aryans, blond, blue eyed and boring and Nazis whilst giving the NAZI salute.... pic.twitter.com/N6E7JDehbe
— Deplorably 🇬🇧 Northern Irelandish (@AustenLennon) September 12, 2018
Bono made the comments after Åkesson's populist anti-immigration party achieved 17.6% of the vote on Sunday, meaning none of the Scandinavian nation's traditional parties won an overall majority.
The Sweden Democrats' press secretary, Henrik Gustafsson, said he was not surprised by the attack.
"When Swedish celebrities obviously do not have a reality-based view of us and our party, it’s no wonder to me that the situation is even worse for a person like Bono," he said in a statement.
Bono also attacked Marine Le Pen's National Rally (formerly known as National Front) in his tirade against the rise of popular support for right-wing parties in Europe.
He claimed the party had to change its name so that voters would forget about its traditional animosity towards minorities.
U2 will perform in the French capital again tonight as part of their Innocence + Experience Tour.
