Overview

• City officials confirmed that the words "Free Gaza" were scratched into the black marble memorial in central Lyon.
• The monument was inaugurated in January 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
• Mayor Gregory Doucet condemned the vandalism and said those responsible will be sought and prosecuted.
• The municipality removed the inscription and restored the plaque after the defacement was highlighted on social media by CRIF president Yonathan Arfi.
• Authorities point to a broader pattern of antisemitic acts in France, with 646 incidents recorded in the first half of 2025 and recent cases including green-paint attacks in Paris and arrests over the Ilan Halimi memorial tree.