Veendam condemns swastika vandalism on election posters
Multiple election posters in Veendam were defaced in recent days, marked with swastikas and the letters “PVV." The damaged posters are being removed and replaced, and authorities are filing a police report.
“That is shameful and unacceptable,” the municipality said in a statement. “Election time should be a period when we express our opinions in an open and respectful way. In our democracy, there is room for disagreement, but not for destruction or disrespectful behavior. That is the core of our democracy. Vandalism has no place in it.”
The municipality urged residents to debate “respectfully, in conversation and in the voting booth,” and to “show respect for one another and for democratic values. We know there are sometimes strong differences of opinion, and that is part of democracy. But let’s express them in a respectful way. Together, we keep our municipality dignified and safe.”
The information about the defacement came on the same day the PVV (Party for Freedom) faced another controversy. De Volkskrant revealed that two of its Tweede Kamer members, Maike Boon and Patrick Crijns, secretly ran a far-right Facebook page posting AI-generated images of GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans.
The page, titled “Wij doen GEEN aangifte tegen Geert Wilders” (“We are NOT filing charges against Geert Wilders”), has about 130,000 followers and more than 500,000 daily visits. Posts included images of Timmermans in handcuffs, labeled “Corrupt,” or stealing money from a white man to give to Syrians, drawing hundreds of violent comments including death threats such as “Hang that pathetic bastard” and “Cut off his head for fraud and treason.”
Geert Wilders said he was unaware of the page’s management and expressed “regret if it offended anyone,” though he did not directly apologize to Timmermans.
