By DAILY MAIL REPORTER Survivors of a Nazi death camp were shot at and abused as they gathered to remember their liberation. Masked neo-Nazi thugs screamed 'Heil Hitler!' and 'This way for the gas!' at ten elderly Italian men and women, who returned to the site of the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria. The gang also fired air guns at a group of 15 French survivors, many dressed in the striped pyjama-style uniforms they wore as inmates. One suffered a head wound while another was injured by a shot in the neck. The four thugs managed to escape. Jewish leaders in Austria were appalled by the weekend scenes that marred events marking the 64th anniversary of the camp’s liberation by American troops. Members of a delegation of Polish survivors arrive for a ceremony to commemorate the 64th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp of Mauthausen An estimated 320,000 people were murdered or worked to death at Mauthausen and its outlying slave labour installations. Jewish leaders condemned Saturday's incidents, which marred events marking the 64th anniversary of the camp's liberation by U.S. troops. The attacks came near the Ebensee sub-camp of Mauthausen on Saturday in two separate incidents involving Italian and French survivors The prisoners at Ebensee worked in underground factories which manufactured Messerschmitt airplanes. 'In the first instance a group of French survivors were attacked by four armed men clad in camouflage gear,' said Willy Mernyi, head of the Mauthausen Committee of Austria. 'The attackers shot at the group of fifteen survivors with what police assume was plastic air gun pellets. One person was hit in the head while another was injured by a shot in the neck. 'People come to remember the dead and pay their respects and are met with this kind of terror.' The second incident happened a short time later when 10 Italian survivors who gathered nearby for a similar ceremony were attacked. Survivors of the former Austrian Nazi concentration camp Mauthausen enter the camp before the neo-Nazis struck The concentration camp was liberated by U.S. troops on May 5, 1945 While they were not fired on, the neo-Nazis again hurled abuse and shouted Nazi slogans while giving the Hitler salute. But the same spirit that kept them alive back then was still evident among the survivors who fought with the cowards who desecrated the memory of their dead comrades. They even succeeded in ripping the mask from one of them and taking his picture with a mobile telephone camera. Regional police chief Alois Lissl said the survivors and their families showed 'extreme courage' in fighting back. 'Unfortunately, the men managed to escape but we know that they spoke in a local dialect,' he said. Ebensee mayor Herwat Loidl condemned the modern-day Nazis, declaring: 'They will not be allowed to gain a foothold in our community.' He called on Austrians with information as to the identities of the thugs to turn them in. Some 7,000 Mauthausen survivors and their families from 42 countries travelled to the Mauthausen complexes at the weekend for the remembrance services. “At least we set out to do what we wanted to – to honour the dead and remember the liberation,” added Mernyi. An estimated 320,000 people were murdered or worked to death at the camp. Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below, or debate this issue live on our message boards. You cannot find words to decribe these people, this is exactly why this happened in the beginning with weak minded people who cannot think for themselves they have been indoctrinated with pure evil propaganda. My goodness, this is horrible! These poor old people have suffered so much in their lives, to endure this at their age is unforgivable! We shouldn't be complacent. It would hppen here in lawless Britain today. Typical of Nazi thugs, they were bullies back then and nothing has changed picking on elderly people who have done nothing wrong other be of a certain faith. The rise of anti antisemitism around the world is palpable for all to see. We cannot allow this to gain momentum. Decent people everywhere must protest this emerging cancer and let their voices be heard.Neo-Nazis screaming 'Heil Hitler' attack concentration camp survivors during memorial service for 345,000 dead
Last updated at 1:58 AM on 12th May 2009
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Wednesday, 13 May 2009
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I love Austria as a country and have spent happy times there. However, over the past years Austria is growing into a very fascist society. And what has happened here in Mauthausen is disgusting. As a tourist i shall be putting my money somewhere else.
- helen harrison-parker, berlin, 12/5/2009 09:50