Shoah Memorial in Lyon Defaced with "Free Gaza" Inscription
In Lyon, a deeply symbolic place of remembrance has been desecrated, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation. A memorial dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust, located in the city center near the Perrache train station, was found defaced on Saturday, August 30, with the words “Free Gaza” scratched into one of its black marble plaques. The act was quickly described as intolerable by local authorities and Jewish community leaders.
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The memorial, known as Les Rails de la Mémoire , had only recently been inaugurated in January 2025 to mark the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. The structure, standing three meters tall, is made up of intertwined railway tracks symbolizing the convoys that deported Jews from across Europe to Nazi camps. On the plaque, the names and memory of six million Jewish victims of the Shoah, including a million and a half children, are honored. From the Rhône-Alpes region alone, 6,100 deportees never returned. This new damage struck at the heart of a monument that was specifically created to preserve memory and teach future generations.
The city immediately reported the incident to the authorities. Jean-Olivier Viout, president of the Shoah Memorial Association, filed a formal complaint. Lyon’s mayor, Grégory Doucet, strongly condemned the act in a public statement, expressing solidarity with memory associations, survivors, and their descendants. He affirmed that those responsible would be pursued, declaring that Lyon remains standing in the face of hatred, antisemitism, and racism . Municipal services were quick to erase the visible inscription, and a full restoration of the plaque will take place in the coming week to return the site to its intended state.
City officials emphasized that because this was a Shoah memorial, the act cannot be seen as mere vandalism but must be regarded as antisemitic in nature. The context is especially sensitive: France has witnessed a significant rise in antisemitic acts since October 7, 2023, following the unprecedented Hamas attacks against Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza. Between January and June 2025, French authorities recorded 646 antisemitic acts nationwide. While this represented a decrease compared to the same period in 2024, the figure was still more than double what had been seen two years earlier.
For many, this incident is not only an attack on a monument but also a symbolic blow to the values of remembrance and respect for victims of one of history’s darkest chapters. By targeting a site dedicated to Holocaust memory, the perpetrators have reignited the painful question of how fragile remembrance can be in times of rising tensions and divisions. And yet, the response from city leaders and community organizations shows that efforts to preserve memory remain resolute. The plaque will be repaired, the monument will continue to stand, and Lyon, as its mayor stressed, refuses to bow to hate.
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