Someone at Amazon was obviously asleep at the switch, before a tidal wave of online protests over a macabre and contemptible set of third-party listings on the retail giant’s website brought the company to remove them.
Those listings were for Christmas ornaments, bottle openers, and mouse pads celebrating the Holocaust with images of the Auschwitz death camp in Poland where Nazis killed an estimated 1.1 million people, mostly Jews, during World War II.
In a rather restrained tweet on Sunday, the Auschwitz Memorial wrote: “Selling ‘Christmas ornaments’ with images of Auschwitz does not seem appropriate. Auschwitz on a bottle opener is rather disturbing and disrespectful. We ask @amazon to remove the items of those suppliers.”
Selling “Christmas ornaments” with images of Auschwitz does not seem appropriate. Auschwitz on a bottle opener is rather disturbing and disrespectful. We ask @amazon to remove the items of those suppliers. https://t.co/0uG2JG558e pic.twitter.com/ucZoTWPk1W
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) December 1, 2019
Photos appearing on the products such as star and bell shaped tree decorations included barbed-wire lined walkways and train tracks from the concentration camp.
One listing for a star-shaped item contained a description saying that it could be given “as a gift” to “friends on different occasions.”
The multitude of Twitter users who replied were not reticent to express their disbelief and outrage, before Amazon quickly acted to remove the offensive product listings.
“Monetizing the monstrosity that was the Holocaust is disgusting and reprehensible,” tweeted @perrybarber …
Monetizing the monstrosity that was the Holocaust is disgusting and reprehensible. I complained about these items to @amazon customer service, asking that my complaint be forwarded to the appropriate parties, and I’ll be watching to see what action, if any, has been taken.
— Perry Barber (@perrybarber) December 1, 2019
According to ABC, “The products were not sold directly by Amazon, but by a third-party seller with the username Fcheng.”
Amazon has just taken down Christmas ornaments with images of Auschwitz.
There are still ornaments for sale with images of plantations. @amazon, what’s up? pic.twitter.com/U8f2GKFHOT
— saira rao (@sairasameerarao) December 2, 2019
An Amazon spokesman said the “products in question had been removed,” adding that “all sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action, including potential removal of their account.”
The Auschwitz Memorial subsequently tweeted out still another Amazon seller offering with perhaps an even more grotesquely offensive listing entitled, “Massacre Auschwitcz Birkenau Jewish Death” mouse pad, sold by third party “tree26.”
Sadly, it is not over yet @amazon. The “Massacre Auschwitcz (!) Birkenau Jewish Death” mousepad is another disturbing online product. We are not sure if @yadvashem would like the “Christmas ornament” with a freight car used for deporting Jews for extermination either. https://t.co/qDEEzqzwSU pic.twitter.com/wXExhFZPmV
— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) December 1, 2019
Who the hell would purchase this?! One word: NAZIS. @amazon as a customer and the daughter of Holocaust survivors I demand you remove these items immediately. Most of my family was killed in Auschwitz and camps like it. This is not in the holiday spirit. It’s sickening. https://t.co/DJl8oOJnFH
— (((Sandi Fox))) (@smartasafox) December 2, 2019
On Monday morning, the Auschwitz Memorial said it was still working to get another online outlet, Wish Shopping, to remove similar offensive product listings from their site.
As the Grandson of Holocaust survivors who had to endure the traumas of Auschwitz, I find this disgusting, repulsive, and unbecoming of a company like @amazon or any single American company. I don’t understand how something like this gets made in this day and age, let alone sold. https://t.co/JvhVEFXLK5
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) December 2, 2019
I understand that there’s a few people saying it’s an automated process when it comes to the image, BUT … SOMEONE is selling them … that’s not a computer. Whilst we should never forget the atrocities that happened there, we shouldn’t cheapen it for a few quid. Disgusting
— JamieR (@writeything) December 1, 2019
Amazon’s policy on offensive and controversial materials prohibits products “related to human tragedies.” The company says that it decides which products are appropriate by considering a “global community of customers and cultural differences and sensitivities.”
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Victor Rantala is an Army vet who lives in Minnesota, he is a former intelligence analyst and business owner, and is an NRA Life member who is officially retired but has yet to slow his roll.
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