Experts say T-shirts and mugs glorifying Grzegorz Braun’s vandalism of a menorah in the Polish parliament is a part of a wave of online support for his antisemitic act. Online shops are being swamped with listings for T-shirts and coffee mugs glorifying the actions of a far-right MP who this week extinguished Hanukah candles in Poland’s parliament. Extremism experts described the wave of support for the racist stunt pulled by far right politician Grzegorz Braun on Tuesday as “shocking”. Braun, a leader of the far-right Konfederacja party, and who has a track record of antisemitic provocations, shocked Poland when he took a fire extinguisher to a menorah that had been lit in a parliament building to mark the Jewish holiday of Hanukah. In the chaotic aftermath of the incident, which filled the room with mist and covered bystanders with powder, Braun railed against Judaism as “satanic.” His actions were roundly condemned by the political establishment, with new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk labelling his behaviour a “disgrace.” Braun has been suspended from the current parliamentary session and his own party’s parliamentary group, had his salary cut, and been referred to the public prosecutor. But since then anti-racist groups have been shocked by visible displays of support for Braun’s antisemitic actions, including online marketplaces in Poland being flooded with listings of merchandise celebrating the incident. Polish anti-racist group Never Again documented dozens of listings for products – mostly T-shirts and coffee mugs – that celebrated Braun’s actions on the biggest Polish online marketplace, Allegro, and reported them to the platform. Another major platform, OLX, removed similar items from its site after being alerted by Never Again on Friday. “It’s shocking to see this mini-industry of support for Braun spring up,” Never Again head Rafal Pankowski told VICE News.
via vice: Fans of Far-Right MP Who Vandalised a Menorah Are Now Selling Merch