Seller banned from Etsy after Auschwitz Memorial asks site to remove offensive slogan t-shirt

Etsy said it’s ‘vigilantly monitoring’ its marketplace

(Etsy/ASSID)

Etsy has banned a seller for advertising a t-shirt bearing the slogan 'Camp Auschwitz' on the platform.

On Monday morning, the official Auschwitz Memorial Twitter account posted a screenshot of the product - which featured a skull and cross bones - on the Etsy site.

They tweeted: "@Etsy Please remove this. It is painful to Survivors and disrespectful to the memory of all victims of Auschwitz."

A product description for the t-shirt read: "This t-shirt is camp auschwitz everything you've dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and flattering for both men and women."

Hundreds of commenters expressed their disgust at the offensive t-shirt and, at time of writing, the post had been retweeted over 5,000 times. Some commenters called for a boycott of the site until the product was pulled.

One Twitter user wrote: "Boycott Etsy until they take this garbage down."

However, other users defended the platform, stating that it was not the platform itself which was selling the item.

In response to one user's call for a boycott, another person wrote: "Etsy is like eBay- it’s an individual seller who has posted this and is selling it- not Etsy themselves. There are thousands of Brilliant crafters on Etsy who rely on it for their income."

The t-shirt as it appeared on the Etsy site (Etsy)

Later on Monday, Etsy removed the item from sale and banned the US-based shop which had been advertising it from the site. The store, DodeStar89, had been set up in January this year and sold other items of clothing featuring slogans (though none similar to this product).

When contacted by The Independent, a spokesperson for Etsy said they are "vigilantly monitoring" items sold on the platform.

They said: "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."

The platform also responded to the Auschwitz Memorial's tweet thanking them for pointing out the offensive product.

Etsy tweeted: "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 Memorial responded: "Thank you @Etsy for the quick reaction and removing the item."