Etsy removes ‘Camp Auschwitz’ shirt from its website following Capitol siege
Etsy removed a “Camp Auschwitz” t-shirt from its website after a rioter was spotted wearing a shirt with the same message during the US Capitol siege.
The e-commerce company removed the item immediately upon learning that the shirt was for sale and banned the shop that listed it, a spokesperson for Etsy told CNN Business. “Items that glorify hate or violence have no place on Etsy and we are committed to keeping our marketplace safe,” the spokesperson said.
“At Etsy, we know that democracy is the bedrock of civil society and recognize that it must be cherished and safeguarded,” Etsy CEO Josh Silverman said in a blog post. “During times of unrest, it’s more important than ever that we be vigilant and do our part to keep our marketplace and community safe,” he added.
The company said it is continuously monitoring its marketplace for listings that may have been inspired by recent unrest, but it’s unclear why the anti-Semitic shirt was for sale on the e-commerce site in the first place.
The Auschwitz Memorial tweeted a photograph of the offensive and hate-inciting item, saying, “@Etsy, Please remove this. It is painful to Survivors and disrespectful to the memory of all victims of Auschwitz.”
Hours later, in an attempt to apologize, the e-commerce company responded to the tweet, saying, “Etsy stands firmly against any form of hate. We immediately removed the listing and banned the shop that attempted to sell it, and are aggressively monitoring and removing items like these that violate our policies. Thank you @AuschwitzMuseum for bringing it to our attention.”
The Auschwitz Museum thanked the company for its quick response and removal of the item.
