Dutch police arrested a 24-year-old man Saturday after he was caught on video spray-painting a World War II memorial in Amsterdam during a pro-Palestine protest. The suspect, described in media reports as an apparently transgender activist, was filmed wearing a dress and spraying the words “never again is now” across the National Monument in Dam Square.
The vandalism occurred as protesters rallied against Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The slogan, traditionally used as a reminder of the Holocaust, was used by the activist to compare Israel’s fight against Hamas terrorists with Nazi Germany’s extermination of Jews and other minorities. The location of the graffiti appeared to underscore that comparison, as the National Monument honors Dutch citizens killed in World War II.
Police quickly detained the man but later released him. Prosecutors will decide whether to press charges. The act has drawn outrage from locals, who condemned the defacement of a memorial dedicated to victims of Nazi occupation. One business owner told De Telegraaf that “even the dead from the war are not respected,” calling the stunt “unpalatable” and demanding a crackdown on disruptive protests in the city center.
The Amsterdam municipality initially banned the pro-Palestine rally out of concern for public safety, but a judge overturned the decision and allowed it to proceed. The protest was organized by the International Socialists, a far-left group that attempted to distance itself from the vandalism. While they described the act as “tasteless,” the group downplayed its seriousness, noting the graffiti could be removed.
The arrest highlights the growing tensions across Europe as pro-Palestine demonstrations often spill into confrontations, vandalism, and antisemitic rhetoric. With anti-Israel protests escalating, critics argue that public safety and respect for national memorials are being undermined by unchecked activism.
