Online retailer Etsy removes 'Camp Auschwitz' t-shirts after complaints

Firm said it is 'vigilantly monitoring' other offensive items on its site after the Auschwitz Museum raised the alarm

Online retailer Etsy has removed a ‘Camp Auschwitz’ t-shirt listed on its site and is “vigilantly monitoring” similar items.

The company took down the item after the Auschwitz Memorial Museum raised the alarm on social media, saying it was “painful to Survivors and disrespectful to the memory of all victims of Auschwitz.”

Jewish actress and campaigner against antisemitism Tracy Ann Oberman called on people to “boycott Etsy until they remove HATE merchandise like this from their site.”

This comes after a riot in Washington D.C. at the Capitol building, at which pro Donald Trump activists wore garments referencing the Holocaust.

Among offensive attire included a shirt saying “work brings freedom” – a translation of the Nazis’ infamous “arbeit macht frei” written above the entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau, and the phrase “Camp Auschwitz”.

After being confronted by Auschwitz Museum on Twitter, Etsy released a statement. It said: “We are deeply saddened by the events that took place at the US Capitol. Etsy’s long-standing policies prohibit items that promote hate or violence, and we are vigilantly monitoring our marketplace for any such listings that may have been inspired by recent unrest.

“We removed this item immediately when it was brought to our attention and have also banned the shop that attempted to list this item. Items that glorify hate or violence have no place on Etsy and we are committed to keeping our marketplace safe.