A statue of Anne Frank in Amsterdam was defaced with “Gaza” graffiti, which drew criticism from the city’s mayor.
Photos show the word “Gaza” scrawled in red paint on the podium of the statue, which was erected in a park near where Frank and her family lived before they were forced into hiding. It shows her wearing multiple layers of clothing, as the family feared carrying suitcases would arouse suspicion.
mayor Femke Halsema strongly condemned the desecration of the monument, saying: “No Palestinian has been helped by the defacing of her precious statue.”
“This young girl, who was so brutally murdered by the Nazis at the age of 15, reminds us and our city every day of humanity and gentleness, even in the most difficult circumstances,” Halsema posted on Instagram.
“Whoever it was, shame on you! There is no excuse,” she added.
The Amsterdam police have launched an investigation into the incident. No one has been arrested yet.
A police spokesperson told CNN Wednesday that police received a report of vandalism Tuesday afternoon. “Officers responded to the statue, saw the graffiti and began an investigation,” the spokesperson said.
Anne Frank’s diary is often the diary of many young people first introduction to the horrors of the Holocaust. In 1944, the famous diarist and seven other Jewish people in hiding in the Amsterdam secret annex were arrested.
They had hidden for almost two years in a secret annex above a canal house in Amsterdam before they were deported and Anne died in the Camp Bergen Belsen at the age of 15.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com
