A Holocaust memorial in Lyon was defaced with a “Free Gaza” inscription, city officials said Saturday, fueling concerns over an increase in antisemitic acts and hate crimes in France.

In a photo posted by Jewish community leaders, the inscription appeared to have been scratched into the black marble of a plaque on the monument with a sharp object.

“The vandalism of the Holocaust Memorial in Lyon is an intolerable act. I condemn it and express my full solidarity with memory associations, survivors and their descendants,” the city’s mayor, Gregory Doucet, wrote in a statement sent to AFP.

“The perpetrators will be sought and prosecuted. Lyon stands firm against hatred, antisemitism and racism,” Doucet added.

Yonathan Arfi, president of the CRIF, a body representing Jewish institutions in France, described the incident as “despicable.”

The monument in central Lyon was inaugurated in January 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau........

© The Times of Israel