Police pull ‘Nazistyle’ campaign
BRITISH TRANSPORT Police (BTP) has bowed to public pressure by withdrawing a poster that critics claimed echoed Nazi propaganda.
The anti-terrorism banner, which was pasted on billboards across British railway stations earlier this week, was part of a campaign aimed at encouraging the public to report suspicious behaviour.
On its website, the BTP said the series of posters was intended to “help build a more vigilant network on railways across the country and raise awareness of the vital role the public can play in keeping themselves and others safe”.
Onepostershowedasuspicious-looking man with dark hair, long beard and a hooked nose, with a young woman in the background. The caption read: “See it. Say it. Sorted. Are they wearing a big coat to hide something?”
Angry commuters took to social media to express their disgust at the poster’s message, with some using the hashtag #takethemdown.
Some criticised the advert for demonisingforeigners,whileotherscompared the male figure with that used in a poster for exhibition, staged by the Nazis in 1937.
The sight appalled Susie Symes, chairwomanof theMuseumof Immigration, who called the campaign a “failure of Holocaust education and racism awareness” at the Department for Transport and BTP.
She later told the JC: “I am relieved that a hateful poster has been withdrawn. However, the BTP and ministers have sadly failed to recognise the real underlying issues of xenophobia, racismandantisemitism.Thegovernment, as well as the public, must actively resist deep-seated attitudes that divide communities and demonise minorities.
“In times of national tension and terror threats, people should be looking out for each other, not looking fearfully at each other.”
Christine Schmidt, deputy director at the Wiener Library, said: “While the use of such imagery was likely unintentional, we think it’s vital that efforts to share information about security should be done without resorting to potentially discriminatory or vilifying language or images.”
Alun Thomas, assistant chief constable at the BTP, said: “The images in this campaign were specially created in ordertoavoidusingphotographsof any specific individuals or groups. However, we are aware that one particular image has caused considerable distress due to its similarities with offensive historic propaganda.
“It is highly regrettable that this image and its connotations were overlooked during the development of this campaign.”
A Department for Transport spokesman said: “There was no intention to cause offence with this security awareness initiative. We apologise to anyone upset.”
The poster was withdrawn, he said, as criticism was “detracting from the important message of the overall campaign”.