What Happened?

A memorial dedicated to‍ the ​Holocaust, ​known as “The Rails of the Shoah,” in Lyon, France, was vandalized on Saturday, August 30, 2025, with the⁤ inscription “free Gaza.” The inscription‍ was⁢ discovered by city‌ officials and​ photographed by the Agence France-Presse⁤ (AFP).Le Monde reports the inscription ‌was engraved into the black marble of a presentation plate at the monument.

Lyon Mayor Grégory Doucet immediately condemned the⁢ act as “intolerable,” according to AFP. jean-olivié Lecourt,president of the association overseeing the Shoah Memorial,also expressed outrage.

The Rails of the Shoah Memorial

The “Rails of the Shoah” memorial in Lyon commemorates the deportation of Jews from the Lyon-Perrache station during World War II. The memorial consists of railway tracks leading ⁣to a symbolic dead end, representing the final destination of those deported to concentration ‌camps. The ​memorial’s official website details ⁢its history and purpose, emphasizing remembrance and education.

Lyon was a notable hub for the French resistance during the war, and the region saw substantial persecution ⁤of Jewish ⁣citizens under the Vichy regime. The memorial serves as a poignant reminder ⁤of this dark chapter ​in French history.

Context and ⁢Reactions

The vandalism occurs amidst heightened ​tensions surrounding the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian