Police are investigating threats to a teacher from Emmaus College in Rotterdam. The threats are concerning a cartoon that hung in the teacher’s classroom, which was posted on Instagram and taken out of context.
The Instagram post is said to be regarding the 2015 attack Charlie Hebdo. It features a cartoon of Dutch political illustrator Joep Bertrams, reports Rijnmond. The post has gone viral, and police say it is not known how many threats have been made.
Police action
Law enforcement is currently investigating who is behind the threats. “The police and the Public Prosecution Service take the threats very seriously,” Rotterdam Police said on Twitter.
They also said that officers are providing extra supervision on campus. “We are taking visible and invisible measures to stop these threats.”
Er zijn online bedreigingen geuit naar een docent van het #Emmauscollege in #Rotterdam #Oosterflank nav een spotprent. De politie en het @OM nemen de bedreigingen uiterst serieus. Er wordt momenteel uitgezocht wie er achter de bedreigingen zit. 1/2
— Politie Rotterdam eo (@Politie_Rdam) November 3, 2020
Sympathy expressed for Samuel Paty
The Emmaus College made an announcement over the intercom on Monday to express sympathy for Samuel Paty, the French teacher who was beheaded by an Islamic extremist.
The rector said that the school should be a place where people can work in freedom and safety, “so that our students can develop into independent citizens who can live together in a country that is characterized by freedom, equality and solidarity. Values that fit seamlessly with our vision.”
The school’s response
In a letter to parents and students, the school management writes, “In the photo, the context in which the cartoon hangs has completely disappeared. The result is that threats have been made to colleagues. We find these threats unacceptable.”
The school management says they are shocked by the commotion. “We make every effort to ensure that our school remains a safe place for everyone so that the pupils can go to school in peace and quiet tomorrow.”
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