Yellow Star of David worn in Prague to protest the coronavirus vaccine

"The use of the Yellow Star of David in an anti-vaccination protest is a disgrace and an insult to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust."

JANUARY 11, 2021 13:09

a holocaust survivor wears a yellow Star of David on his jacket during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem (photo credit: REUTERS) — a holocaust survivor wears a yellow Star of David on his jacket during a ceremony marking Holocaust Remembrance Day at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem

(photo credit: REUTERS)

Dozens of people protested on Friday in Prague against the local government's efforts in getting a vaccine to help battle the coronavirus by wearing a yellow Star of David. Just as Jews were forced to wear the distinctive mark while they were persecuted, so too some of the protestors chose to wear the star.

The word 'unvaccinated' was printed on the Star of David in reminiscence of the word Jude in Nazi Germany.

The Federation of Jewish Communities in the Czech Republic and some Czech politicians condemned those who wore the symbol.

Israel's ambassador to the Czech Republic, Daniel Meron, wrote on his Twitter account: "The use of the Yellow Star of David in an anti-vaccination protest is a disgrace and an insult of the memory of the victims of the Holocaust."

The use of the Yellow Star of David in anti-vaccination protests is a disgrace and an insult to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. (Photos are from Facebook) pic.twitter.com/6oXNajEqSd
— Daniel Meron (@AmbMeron) January 9, 2021

Czech politician Jan Bartošek also took to Twitter, in Czech, condemning the protesters for misappropriating the symbol, stating that the Jews were persecuted and that those who do not wish to take the vaccine have the freedom not to take it and there will be no repercussions.

Bartošek, who is a member of the Chamber of Deputies for the Christian and Democratic Union, was party to a resolution that condemned both antisemitism and anti-Israel boycotts as well as affirmed Israel’s right to self-defense back in 2019.

Far-right extremists also joined the protesters, who were vocal in their support for US President Donald Trump and against taking the COVID-19 vaccine. Extremists of the far-right have in the past condemned the taking in of refugees and hateful expressions toward Islam and the Roma people.