‘Green Pass Makes You Free’ sign on pub door in Italy

A sign saying „The Green Pass Makes You Free Since 1940” was put over a pub’s door in Italy, signifying the protest against the COVID health certificate.

A sign, „The Green Pass Makes You Free Since 1940,” appeared over a pub’s door in Northern Italy, in the small town of Iseo, recalling the infamous „Arbeit Macht Frei” („Work sets you free”) slogan over the entrance of Auschwitz, as protesters against the COVID health certificate draw a parallel between the certificate and Holocaust victims.

The police warned the facility’s owner, Francesco Marangoni, to take down the sign. He defended himself, claiming that it was a harmless prank and was not meant to offend anyone, adding that it was not intended to be a Nazi or Fascist sign, as many interpreted it.

Marangoni said all his staff at the Lakehop pub were vaccinated, and they checked clients’ Green Passes before they came in, according to the law. The certificate shows that the person is vaccinated for COVID-19, has recovered from it in the last six months, or has had a negative COVID-19 test result in the past few days.

Although all the staff were vaccinated and the guests were checked for Green Cards, he admitted that he was not vaccinated „because the (COVID) swab is safer, and I don’t want to be discriminated against because of this.”

There is an apology posted on the Facebook page of the Lakehop pub. The comments under the post include both condemnations and praisings for the anti-Green Pass stance of the pub owner. The stunt sparked outrage and indignation in the Italian Jewish community.

At the beginning of November, the mayor of another town appealed for no more demonstrations against the Green Pass COVID-19 health certificate to be staged there, following a weekend march where protestors dressed up as concentration camp prisoners. These marches have become so common and disruptive all over Italy that they have been banned. Only recently, people opposed to having a Green Pass for entering their workplace began to compare the measure to the treatment of Jews during the Holocaust.