This symbol of the Jewish religion was discovered on several buildings, while the war between Israel and Hamas fuels fears of an increase in anti-Semitic acts in France. An investigation has been opened.
It is the symbol of the Jewish religion and appears in the center of the flag of the State of Israel. Tags representing the Star of David, painted blue using a stencil, were discovered on several building facades in Paris, and in several towns in Seine-Saint-Denis and Hauts-de-Seine. , Tuesday October 31.
“This wave of hatred which is rising and displayed publicly is everyone’s business”denounced the International League against Racism and Anti-Semitism (Licra) on X (ex-Twitter). “It is not the first since the Second World War, but it is on an unprecedented scale, damaging the social fabric, national cohesion and the values of the Republic”continues the association. “Some want to terrorize French Jews by using the methods of the 1930s. They must be quickly found and severely punished,” demanded for its part the Union of Jewish Students of France (UEJF) on the same social network.
“In the name of the government”the Prime Minister, Elisabeth Borne, announced from the National Assembly that she “condemns with absolute firmness these despicable actions”. “It is the duty of the Republic to protect all the Jews of France”, insisted the head of government. The Paris prosecutor’s office announced the opening of an investigation. Here is what we know about these tags, which appeared as reports of anti-Semitic acts have increased in France since October 7 and the start of the war between Hamas and Israel.
Stars of David painted in several districts of Paris
In Paris, these stars of David painted blue were first reported in the 14th arrondissement of Paris, on the walls of several buildings, according to images published on X on Tuesday, notably by a journalist from Opinion.
In a press release, the mayor of the 14th arrondissement, Carine Petit, mentioned “several reports”. “This act of marking recalls the processes of the 1930s and the Second World War which led to the extermination of millions of Jews”she wrote. “I am quite shocked, but also reassured to see that the whole neighborhood is also shocked and mobilized”, testifies to franceinfo Ari Kouts, resident of the 14th arrondissement. The young man discovered several of these tags in front of his home on Tuesday morning and shared a photo on X.
The Paris public prosecutor’s office announced that it had been informed of the discovery of around sixty Stars of David tagged on the night of Monday to Tuesday on walls in the district. The 14th arrondissement police station was seized of the investigation, opened for “degradation of the property of others aggravated by the circumstance that it was committed due to origin, race, ethnicity or religion”. An offense punishable by four years of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros.
Other districts of the capital are affected. Onthe mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, spoke of the discovery “numerous Stars of David stencilled overnight (…) on walls and facades in several districts of the capital, including the 13th, 14th and 15th arrondissements”. Its press release states that the municipality took legal action on Tuesday morning.
Anthony Samama, deputy mayor of the 15th, confirmed that the phenomenon affected “many streets in the 15th arrondissement”and announced the filing of a complaint from the town hall.
In the afternoon, the mayor of the 18th arrondissement of Paris, Eric Lejoindreand its counterpart in the 10th, Alexandra Cordebardin turn mentioned the presence of Stars of David tagged in their districts, claiming to have reported the facts to the police and requested the erasure of the inscriptions.
Other tags previously discovered in Hauts-de-Seine
Since Sunday, the town of Vanves, located in Hauts-de-Seine, has seen these stars of David painted with a blue stencil appear on its walls. “We heard about it yesterday, and again today, in different areas of the city”the municipality informed franceinfo.
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“OI don’t have the feeling that it’s done at random.”added the town hall, according to which some affected houses are occupied by “people who are not of the Jewish faith”. She assures that the tags were cleaned, and were systematically reported to the prosecutor.
Towns in Seine-Saint-Denis already affected
The UDI mayor of Aubervilliers (Seine-Saint-Denis), Karine Franclet, announced, in a press release published late Monday afternoon, that“during the weekend of October 28 and 29”, “walls” of the city had “been tagged with ostensibly anti-Semitic inscriptions”. “The services were immediately mobilized to remove these inscriptions and the police authorities are working to shed light on these despicable acts”she writes. In total, five tags were identified, most of them in or near the city center, reports France Bleu. Along with the Stars of David, the words “Death to Israel” were written, as well as “From the sea to the Jordan, Palestine shall overcome.” A building of the Public Housing Office was also targeted. The lessor filed a complaint, specifies the radio.
In Saint-Ouen, another town bordering Paris, Star of David tags, also painted with a stencil, were discovered on several walls and buildings in the town. In a press release published on the night of Monday to Tuesday, the town hall first said it had been alerted “of the presence of Stars of David stencilled on the walls of the house of a resident of the Debain district”. Contacted by franceinfo Tuesday morning, the city finally reported “several buildings in the same neighborhood affected” by these tags. All were reported to the public prosecutor.
“It’s not a coincidence, it’s intentional”reacted to BFMTV a resident, of Jewish faith, whose building was targeted. “It makes me think of before” and Nazism, she confides to the channel. Michel, who specifies that he is not of Jewish faith, tells franceinfo that he saw his deposit also covered with tags with the Star of David. The matter did not end there: on Monday, around 11 p.m., he received several threatening calls. “I was told that the Star of David had to be removed, that I was a supporter of Israel and that I should not leave it otherwise it would go badly for me, that I would be burn my deposit”, he relates. He immediately filed a complaint for death threats, and reported“a certain fear.”