Overview
- The plaque honoring Villeurbanne residents who saved Jews under Vichy’s antisemitic laws was found ripped from the Square des Justes on August 17.
- Mayor Cédric Van Styvendael condemned the act as “the marriage of cowardice and stupidity” and said the plaque will be reinstalled by the end of the week.
- No graffiti or inscription was found at the site, according to the municipal statement.
- City hall has not lodged a complaint as authorities work to clarify what occurred.
- The removal is being reported in the context of recent antisemitic incidents, including the felling of an Ilan Halimi memorial tree near Paris.