Online marketplace Etsy has been slammed by the Auschwitz Memorial for allowing the sale of 'disrespectful' 'Camp Auschwitz' t-shirts.
The organisation condemned the £19.95 ($27) top, which is being sold by a US based seller to buyers in the UK. They have since thanked Etsy for removing the item.
The top featured a skull and crossbones with the phrase 'Camp Auschwitz' emblazoned on the front.
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It was described as 'everything you've dreamed of and more', with the description going on to add: "It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch.
"It's comfortable and flattering for both men and women."
It then went on to list a number of key features including: 100 percent combed and ring-spun cotton, pre-shrunk fabric, shoulder-to-shoulder taping and side seamed.
The item was listed for sale yesterday (10 January), drawing instant criticism from the memorial.
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Writing on Twitter, Auschwitz Memorial said: "@Etsy Please remove this. It is painful to survivors and disrespectful to the memory of all victims of Auschwitz."
They followed up with the message: "Thank you @Etsy for the quick reaction and removing the item."
Other social media users echoed the same sentiments as the Twitter page which represents the former German Nazi Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp.
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One wrote: "What the actual f*** @Etsy? Do you really want to be a platform for Nazis?"
Another person added: "Outrageous, this needs to be removed right away."
A third replied saying: "That's disgusting. It's atrocious that you would sell that on your site."
In a statement, Etsy told LADbible: "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."
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Auschwitz Memorial works to preserve the largest of the Nazi concentration camp, Auschwitz, in Oświęcim, Poland.
The memorial and museum was created in 1947 and holds a variety of archives and collections as well as research, conservation from the past horrors of the camp and seeks to educate people on the crimes of the Nazis while remembering those who lost their lives.
The controversy surrounding the shirt comes just weeks before the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust on January 27.
Featured Image Credit: Deadline News
