Dan Verbin(Israel National News)
Two swastikas were carved with a blowtorch into a memorial plaque for victims of Auschwitz located in the esplanade of the Companions of the Liberation park in Grenoble, France.
The area is a tribute to those awarded the Companion of the Liberation high honor.
A similar incident had occurred a few days before, reported AFP.
The Companion of the Liberation medal was given by the French government to those who liberated France during World War II. The order is a rare honor that was only awarded to a few military units for their wartime deeds.
The Departmental Directorate of Public Security of Isére said that the graffiti appeared to have been burned into the monument, likely with a blowtorch.
The technical department of the municipality said that a similar tag had been made on the same plaque a few days ago, and had been cleaned off.
The judicial police were at the scene along with municipal police. An investigation is ongoing, reported Actu Grenoble.
The swastikas burned into the stone plaque were described as being about 20 square centimeters.
France has seen a worrying rise in Nazi hate graffiti and anti-Semitic threats in recent months.
In June, swastikas were spray painted on election signs in the village of Oulches. The small village of 400 people was reportedly shocked after discovering the tagged signs, which included the number “88” considered a neo-Nazi hate symbol and code for “Heil Hitler.”
A week earlier, two Jewish communities in southern France were sent threatening anti-Semitic letters. A similar letter was also sent to the mayor of one of the cities who has close ties with the Jewish community.
