In Paris, authorities have commenced an inquiry following the defacement of several Jewish sites throughout the capital city with green paint.
This act of vandalism, uncovered early on Saturday morning, specifically impacted the Shoah Memorial, two synagogues and a Jewish eatery located in the renowned Marais district. Additionally, a third synagogue in the 20th arrondissement was affected. A can of paint was found discarded in the vicinity, with French media indicating that surveillance footage from the Holocaust Memorial captured a person attired in black applying paint during the night.
The office of the Paris prosecutor announced that a formal investigation is now underway for “damage committed on the grounds of religion.” This investigation is centered on the incidents targeting “three synagogues, a restaurant, and the Shoah Memorial” which took place from Friday night into Saturday.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau publicly shared his profound outrage regarding these acts of vandalism directed at the Jewish community, emphasizing his sentiments in a social media post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
These incidents occur shortly before the Jewish festival of Shavuot. The interior ministry of France had previously alerted for enhanced security measures around Jewish sites over the weekend due to increasing global tensions.
To date, no arrests have been made, and no organization has claimed responsibility for these acts.