FvD member Van Houwelingen fined for fake photo of ministers with Nazi flag

ANPPepijn van Houwelingen (FvD)

NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 16:06

MP Pepijn van Houwelingen of Forum for Democracy is fined 450 euros for posting a Nazi flag on Twitter. The Public Prosecution Service imposed that punishment order on him for insult.

At the end of September, Van Houwelingen posted a photoshopped photo online showing the Ministers of Health Kuipers and Van Gennip of Social Affairs and Employment. In the photo it looks as if Kuipers is hoisting a Nazi flag. Van Gennip is standing next to it.

In the original photo, the ministers hoisted a different flag: that of the Sustainable Development Goals, the world goals for sustainable development.

Van Houwelingen’s tweet:

NOS

Van Houwelingen deleted the tweet after some time, but the ministers nevertheless filed a report. Kuipers said a line had been crossed. “That flag still evokes many bad memories for many Dutch people. You don’t want to be associated with that.”

According to Van Houwelingen, the motive for posting the photo was that he and his party members are often associated with Nazism and fascism. “But if we do it once – no matter how light-hearted and teasing – the world is too small,” he said about it at the time. Party leader Thierry Baudet said that the cabinet is trying to make his party “silenced”.

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