A Fremantle man whose family suffered during Germany's Nazi regime has voiced his disgust at white supremacist posters being plastered over the port city ahead of Anzac Day.
The posters in the main tourism precinct feature nostalgic fifties-style illustrations and messages such as "Proud to be White Australian", "Are you white? Be proud" and "White women: be proud of your culture".
Similar posters have also appeared in Maylands.
Roel Loopers was on Australia Day 2013 awarded Fremantle Resident of the Year for his community work including volunteering for the Round House, the Fremantle Society and conservation groups.
Related Content
The photographer grew up in Holland and had migrated to Germany when he was 19 before moving to Australia 35 years ago. He has lived in Fremantle for 25 years.
"When we talk about integration, I am an example of involving yourself in a positive way," he said.
"Having lived in Germany and seen the devastation of the Third Reich and what my family suffered from – it is disgusting to see this happening in Australia.
"My parents had no food, had to walk many kilometres from Amsterdam to find food at the farms. The occupation of Germany affected everyone, there were years of serious hardship.
"I received a comment on my blog, which I haven't posted, from a gentleman who was proud to be a Nazi and said he looked forward to the day I 'saw the rope'.
"It's very sad just before Anzac Day when we commemorate freedom and the acceptance of different cultures."
The posters have appropriated some significant intellectual property, some with apparent existing commercial ownership and copyright.
The "Are you White: Be Proud" poster appeared taken from Qantas' multimillion-dollar I still Call Australia Home advertising campaign, one of the most ambitious, high-profile and long-running advertising campaigns in Australian history.
The Proud to Be White Australian poster has been taken from a design by award-winning Australian advertising and design GPY&R; for a major National Australia Day Council campaign.
The White Women poster is a design currently being sold by its creators, Australian business Venus Prints, rightly reading "Sydney, the harbour city".
Other posters appropriated are older, such as "Perth, Western Australia", originally issued by the state Tourist Development Authority, which was replaced by the Department of Tourism in 1973.
"Take care of our boys" is from an old Cadbury's Cocoa poster with the original slogan "Absolutely pure" made chilling in this new context.
Fremantle Mayor Brad Pettitt said these posters represented, "at best", outdated values Australia largely left behind in the 1950s.
"Australia should be proud and celebrate its successful multiculturalism and not hanker for some fake, white-washed past," he said.
"In Fremantle the strong 20th century immigration from countries like Italy, Portugal and Croatian had a huge influence and made Fremantle a far more interesting and cosmopolitan city. We should celebrate that."
The incidents follow those reported on social media recently in which Islamophobic stickers were being pasted around train tracks near the South Street and Marine Terrace T-junction, encouraging people to reward men with sexual favours if they harrassed Islamic women in public.
0 comments
New User? Sign up