The e-commerce company immediately removed the item when it learned that the shirt was on sale and banned the store that listed it, an Etsy spokesman told CNN Business. “Items that glorify hatred or violence have no place on Etsy and we are committed to keeping our market safe,” said the spokesman.
“At Etsy, we know that democracy is the foundation of civil society and we recognize that it must be valued and protected,” said Etsy CEO Josh Silverman in a blog. “In times of turmoil, it is more important than ever to be vigilant and do our part to keep our market and community safe,” he added.
The company said it is continuously monitoring its market for listings that may have been inspired by recent disturbances, but it is not clear why the anti-Semitic shirt was on sale on the e-commerce site in the first place.
Auschwitz Memorial tweeted a photo of hateful and offensive item, saying: “@Etsy, remove this. It is painful for the survivors and disrespectful to the memory of all the victims of Auschwitz.”
Hours later, in a attempt to apologize, the ecommerce company responded to the tweet, saying, “Etsy is firmly against any form of hatred. We immediately removed the listing and banned the store that tried to sell it and we are aggressively monitoring and removing items like these that violate our policies . Thank you @AuschwitzMuseum for informing us. ”
The Auschwitz Museum thanked the company for its quick response and removal of the item.