May 21, 2018
Netherlands

Swastika spray-painted onto Dutch windmill

By Janene Pieters on May 21, 2018 | NL Times | nltimes.nl

A large swastika and a German flag were found spray painted on a windmill next to the A6 highway, between Emmeloord and Lelystad, on Sunday morning. The authorities believe the vandalism happened very recently, though who the perpetrators are is unclear, De Stentor reports.

A police spokesperson told the newspaper that they are investigating the case and have informed the owner of the windmill, energy company Innogy. “We certainly take this seriously.”

Innogy will press vandalism charges and hopes to recover the damages from the perpetrators. “If people want to protest against the arrival of a wind farm in a playful manner, then that’s fine. But the comparison with the German occupiers goes way too far and testifies to bad taste”, Innogy spokesperson Jorrit de Jong said to the newspaper.

The energy company was targeted in a similar action in April. Then unknown perpetrators left dozens of flags showing swastikas on the site of a planned wind farm in the Groningen village of Zuidbroek.

The windmill tagged in this recent action is located close to the Ketelbrug. It will be cleaned on Monday.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2018/05/21/swastika-spray-painted-onto-dutch-windmill/