Sunday, August 4, 2024

Netherlands: Anne Frank Statue in Amsterdam Defaced Again

In July, pro-Palestinian vandals in Amsterdam defaced a statue of Anne Frank with the word "Gaza" spray painted in red. This morning, the statue was discovered defaced once again. In addition, memorials to Mahatma Gandhi and the Dutch resistance (WW2) were also defaced. How low can you go?

The below article from today's RTL Nieuws is translated by Fousesquawk.

-RTL Nieuws (NL)


 https://www.rtl.nl/nieuws/artikel/5464016/beeld-anne-frank-amsterdam-opnieuw-beklad

Second time in one month

Anne Frank statue in Amsterdam again defaced, municipality files report

By RTL News- 5 hours ago-Updated 4 hours ago

A statue of Anne Frank on Merwede Square in Amsterdam-South is once again defaced. In a photo, it can be seen that "Free Gaza" is written in red paint on the base of the statue. The hands on the image of Anne Frank are also (painted) red.

A passerby reportedly discovered the defacement this morning. The police have opened an investigation, a spokesperson reports. The municipality has had the statue cleaned. The statue was also defaced on July 9.

"It has happened again. It is disrespectful," says the spokesperson of Mayor Femke Halsema to RTL News. "The municipality will make a report. Whether there will be measures taken regarding the statue, we cannot yet say."

Disgust

The Anne Frank Foundation is taking note of the defacement with "disgust". The Foundation says in response: "This defacement once again hits us in the heart. The statue reminds of a young girl with ambitions and dreams. A girl who was murdered simply because she was Jewish. Today's defacement is extra painful, on the day that Anne Frank was arrested exactly 80 years ago today.

The Anne Frank Foundation, just as last time, is making a report to the police.

The statue stands on Merwede Square in Amsterdam because she lived there with her parents and sister from 1933 to 1942. After that, the family had to go into hiding in the annex on Prinsengracht.

The Resistance Monument on Apollo Avenue and the image of Mahatma Gandhi also are covered in red paint, AT5 (news) writes.

Multiple defacements

Last month, the Palace on Dam (Square) in Amsterdam was defaced with red paint by a group of Palestinian activists. The group, Palestine Action, claimed responsibility for the action and claimed that the action was directed at the Dutch government.  They made the place "blood red to symbolize the blood of the Palestinians, which at this moment, is running through the streets of Gaza". 

In addition, the facade of the Rotterdam City Hall was defaced with red paint last month. Whether Palestine Action is behind the defacement of the Anne Frank statue is not yet clear.




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