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German Foreign Ministry pokes fun at Breitbart gaffe

In this June 10, 2014, photo released by the German Football federation, DFB, former German national soccer player Lukas Podolski, left, rides on a jet-ski off Santo Andre, Brazil. Germany’s Foreign Ministry is having some fun at the expense of a Breitbart News gaffe. The online news site’s London operation on Friday used a photo of famous German soccer star Lukas Podolski riding on a jet-ski to illustrate a story headlined “Spanish Police Crack Gang Moving Migrants on Jet-Skis.” The image prompted immediate online ridicule. (Markus Gilliar / DFB via AP)
Associated Press

BERLIN – Germany’s Foreign Ministry is having some fun at the expense of a Breitbart News gaffe.

The online news site’s London operation on Friday used a photo of famous German soccer star Lukas Podolski riding on a jet-ski to illustrate a story headlined “Spanish Police Crack Gang Moving Migrants on Jet-Skis.”

The image prompted immediate online ridicule, and the site quickly removed it. The photo was taken of Podolski in 2014 just before the start of the World Cup final in Brazil.

Breitbart also apologized, saying “there is no evidence Mr. Podolski is either a migrant gang member, nor being human trafficked.”

The Foreign Ministry posted the same photo Monday on Facebook to advertise its upcoming open house, saying “if you want to visit via jet-ski, please use the Fischer Island dock.”