A Dominican New York taxi driver has been suspended for wearing a Nazi swastika armband while driving his cab. Gabriel Diaz, 27, has claimed his rights have been violated by the suspension.

“If a Muslim can drive a cab wearing a turban, if a homosexual can walk around with a big rainbow flag, why can’t a person like me wear a Nazi armband?” Diaz told the NY Daily News.

Gabriel Diaz has been suspended for 30 days

“I’m a National Socialist – what you guys call a Nazi. I am. I’m a believer of it,” he told CBS news.

Diaz admitted that, as a Dominican, he does not fit in with the image of the typical Nazi, but feels, on some levels, race isn’t important when it comes to national socialism.

“I know it’s very controversial that a non-white is wearing a Nazi armband,” he said. “Whoever said you had to be white to be a National Socialist?”

“I don’t hate Jews. I’m critical of them, but I don’t hate them. That doesn’t mean that I’m anti-Semitic. That don’t make me a hater.”

Diaz pictured while driving his NYC cab

Photos of Diaz driving around while wearing the armband were sent to the Anti-Defamation League and the governing body which controls New York’s taxi and limousine service (TLC) moved to discipline the driver.

Diaz is banned from picking up fares in his cab for 30 days.

It is not against the law in New York to wear a swastika in public, but it is against TLC rules to waer one while driving a New York City taxi.

When asked if he felt remorse, Diaz responded: “It pains me that I have to apologize. You know, it pains me. I don’t want to apologize.”

Diaz has said he will not wear the armband again if he returns to drive a cab.

The letter sent by the anti-defamation league to the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission