San Francisco homeowner flies Nazi flag as post-election satire

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - A San Francisco homeowner is facing a lot of anger for flying a Nazi flag over his Dolores Heights home following the presidential election, but his message may have been misunderstood.

48-year-old Frederick Roeber said the statement was intended as satire following Donald Trump's presidential win.

“I am hoping people get that this is a political statement, and that I’m not a Nazi supporter,” Roeber said to The Chronicle. “I’m a little afraid that neighbors will get the wrong idea.”

By Wednesday afternoon, the swastika flag was replaced with a State of California flag embellished with a rainbow.

He issued a more complete apology, posted on his property, claimed to be a flag collector and said he came across the Nazi flag online.

Read his statement in full: 

“I am not a Nazi , nor a Nazi sympathizer. I now understand that many people were shocked and hurt by my political statement, and truly apologize for the distress I caused.
When the shocking results of the election were announced, I flew that flag to make the statement that I compare our populist, nationalist, xenophobic, racist presedent-elect [sic] to similar historic figures. I thought the context of San Francisco, the day after the election, people would get the satire. When I found that it was spreading widely and that people were getting the wrong message, I took it down.
I only had the flag because I came across it online, and thought it would be a pointed comment about Trump. I collect flags, and fly different ones for all kinds of events.
Again, I apologize for the distress I caused.”