Holocaust memorial defaced
France suspects Moscow is behind the color attack
May 22, 2024, 7:08 p.m
In Paris there is pro-Palestinian graffiti on the wall of a Holocaust memorial. The police identify the suspected perpetrators, but assume that Russia is the mastermind. This suspicion also exists in other graffiti incidents in the capital.
According to media reports, the French police have indications that a paint attack on the Holocaust memorial in Paris was orchestrated from Russia. The attack a week ago was a destabilization attempt controlled by Russia, several French media reported.
Around a dozen red hands were sprayed on a wall of the Mémorial de la Shoah as pro-Palestinian graffiti, which led to many angry reactions. According to media reports, thanks to the video surveillance of the memorial and analysis of cell phone data, the investigators were able to identify two Bulgarians as the suspected perpetrators who are said to have left France with one or two henchmen who were also Bulgarian by bus to Brussels the morning after the attack. According to the newspaper Le Parisien, they may have been commissioned by Russia.
Uncertainty due to collapse warning?
According to reports, Paris also suspects Russian puppet masters are behind other paint daubs related to the Olympic Games. At the end of March, the message “Caution, balcony may collapse” was sprayed on a number of buildings. The reference refers to publicly discussed concerns that balconies on Parisian houses could collapse if too many people crowd to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games on the Seine. The police prefecture has already given the all-clear on the issue and appealed to common sense not to go out on a balcony with an abnormal number of people.
In connection with Russian influence on France, the disclosure paper “Le Canard enchaîné” also reported on alleged disruptions to the GPS satellite navigation at Paris’ Charles-de-Gaulle airport, as had already occurred in the Baltic Sea region. However, the incident was not made public in order to avoid unrest.
In November, France accused Russia of being behind the mass spraying of Stars of David on Paris buildings. Photos of the Star of David tags were distributed on social networks via a Russian propaganda network. At the time, Russia rejected the allegations as unfounded.