Italian cartoon depicting EU as Nazi camp sparks outcry

A cartoonist in Rome has sparked a heated controversy in Italy and abroad after depicting the European Union as the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson as an escaping prisoner.

Artist Mario Improta posted the cartoon on his Twitter account Saturday, after Johnson’s Conservatives won a majority in the UK election. Johnson ran on a platform of “get Brexit done,” vowing to take Britain out of the European Union by the scheduled deadline of January 31.

The cartoon features Johnson waving a British flag as he flees a concentration camp with the inscription “European Union” in the same position as the words “Arbeit macht frei” (“Work sets you free”) are at the entrance of the Nazi camp.

The comparison between the EU and a concentration camp immediately prompted a wave of criticism from politicians, Rome’s Jewish community and even some of the artist’s followers on Twitter.

"Arbeit macht frei" era un'illusione cinica che le SS davano ai prigionieri di #Auschwitz. Quelle parole sono diventate una delle icone dell'odio umano. È doloroso per la memoria di Auschwitz e delle sue vittime vedere questo simbolo strumentalizzato e vergognosamente abusato. https://t.co/wgl61oQi8N

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— Auschwitz Memorial (@AuschwitzMuseum) December 16, 2019

The Auschwitz Memorial tweeted in Italian, noting that “‘Arbeit macht frei’ was a cynical illusion that the SS gave to prisoners of Auschwitz. Those words have become one of the icons of human hatred. It is painful for the memory of Auschwitz and its victims to see this symbol used and shamefully abused.”

The artist has become well-known in Italy as the author of an educational campaign for Rome featuring Mayor Virginia Raggi as a Manga hero. Raggi distanced herself from the cartoon and halted the collaboration with Improta.

https://twitter.com/marioimprota72/status/1206186842774736896

After the widespread criticism, Improta on Monday modified the cartoon, replacing the image of the Nazi camp with a toilet and saying it wasn’t correct to “identify the EU with a concentration camp.”

However, he then proceeded to share numerous defenses of his original cartoon. He also posted a blank photo of his image of Johnson, inviting followers to fill in the blank.

https://twitter.com/marioimprota72/status/1206460557827555330