German firm apologises for condoms with anti-immigration message
6 Sep 2013:
Contraceptives ordered by youth wing of far-right party bore slogan: 'For foreigners and certain Germans'
Contraceptives ordered by youth wing of far-right party bore slogan: 'For foreigners and certain Germans'
Condoms were sent to German lawmakers as a protest against 'unchecked immigration'. Photograph: Rick Gayle Studio/CORBIS
A German firm has apologised for producing condoms marked with
an offensive message after they were used in a far-right party's
campaign against immigrant births.
The contraceptives, ordered by the youth wing of the National Democratic party (NPD), came in black boxes bearing the slogan: "For foreigners and certain Germans". The activists sent them to lawmakers as a protest against "unchecked immigration".
The message had a particular resonance in the country where the Nazi party also tried to control childbirth, encouraging people considered pure-blood Germans to breed, while going as far as sterilising people from other groups.
The condoms came with a letter, telling lawmakers: "We are protesting against unchecked immigration and the resulting population change in our country."
The letter added: "You are failing to provide the foundations for a family policy which will halt the demographic catastrophe facing our people."
Volker Beck, a member of parliament from Germany's Green party, complained to the maker of the condoms, R&S.
The company apologised and pledged to donate 10,000 condoms as well as the proceeds from the NPD order to a German foundation against rightwing extremism and antisemitism.
"We are very sorry that this major error happened and that our condoms were connected to such propaganda," the R&S head Axel Roth said in a statement. "We should have been more careful when checking the printed material."
Germany tried in 2003 to ban the NPD, a party branded "racist, antisemitic and revisionist" by Germany's domestic intelligence service, but failed. Banning political parties is also sensitive in Germany, after the Nazi and communist regimes silenced dissent.copy http://www.theguardian.com
The contraceptives, ordered by the youth wing of the National Democratic party (NPD), came in black boxes bearing the slogan: "For foreigners and certain Germans". The activists sent them to lawmakers as a protest against "unchecked immigration".
The message had a particular resonance in the country where the Nazi party also tried to control childbirth, encouraging people considered pure-blood Germans to breed, while going as far as sterilising people from other groups.
The condoms came with a letter, telling lawmakers: "We are protesting against unchecked immigration and the resulting population change in our country."
The letter added: "You are failing to provide the foundations for a family policy which will halt the demographic catastrophe facing our people."
Volker Beck, a member of parliament from Germany's Green party, complained to the maker of the condoms, R&S.
The company apologised and pledged to donate 10,000 condoms as well as the proceeds from the NPD order to a German foundation against rightwing extremism and antisemitism.
"We are very sorry that this major error happened and that our condoms were connected to such propaganda," the R&S head Axel Roth said in a statement. "We should have been more careful when checking the printed material."
Germany tried in 2003 to ban the NPD, a party branded "racist, antisemitic and revisionist" by Germany's domestic intelligence service, but failed. Banning political parties is also sensitive in Germany, after the Nazi and communist regimes silenced dissent.copy http://www.theguardian.com
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