Criminal investigation launched into racist text projected on Venlo building

The Limburg Public Prosecution Service (OM) launched a criminal investigation into racist slogans projected on the UWV building in Venlo on December 28. Far-right groups have claimed the action, which projected the text “White Lives Matter” on the benefits agency’s building.

“We think the texts border on discrimination,” a spokesperson for the Limburg OM told NU.nl. The OM suspects the action is connected to a similar incident in which racist texts were projected onto the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam on New Year’s Eve. The spokesperson said the authorities in the two cities would likely work together.

The Limburg OM’s decision is striking because the mayor of Venlo decided not to file a police report against the racist texts on the UWV building. The mayor and UWV considered it sufficient that the Rotterdam OM was investigating. But the Limburg OM decided to still launch an investigation, calling the racist slogans “unacceptable.”

A spokesperson for the UWV told NU.nl that it finds the racist texts projected onto its building “reprehensible” and will cooperate with the OM’s investigation.