Two men sentenced to six months jail for projecting racist slogans on the Erasmus Bridge

The court in Rotterdam has sentenced two men to six months in prison for projecting racist slogans on the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam on New Year’s Eve 2022. The two suspects were also found guilty of similar projections on Eindhoven town hall in February 2023. The court also thinks that it has been proven that John A. (26), also projected racist slogans on the town hall of Alkmaar.

The messages that appeared on the bridge included, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children.” The statement is often referenced as “14 Words,” and was popularized by comments made by neo-Nazi David Lane.

Other slogans included "Zwarte Piet deed niets verkeerd,” which translates to “Zwarte Piet did nothing wrong,” and “Vrolijk Blank 2023” which means “Happy White 2023.” The message mentioning Zwarte Piet refers to the traditional winter holiday character often portrayed by white actors in blackface makeup. “White Lives Matter” was also one of the slogans projected.

The verdict is in line with the recommendation from the prosecutor.

A. and fellow suspect Daniil S. (36) from Landgraaf were guilty of group insult, incitement to discrimination, and hate speech. The court disputes that their actions fall under freedom of expression, as their lawyers have argued. "Freedom of expression goes far, but it comes up against a limit," the court said.

A. and S. did not make a statement in the preliminary investigation, and were absent from the trial on December 17, despite earlier promises that they would make a statement in court.

The court considered this silence to the disadvantage of the suspects and found that they "did not renounce racist or extreme right-wing ideology". The men were also not present at the verdict on Wednesday.