A commemorative plaque honouring three French citizens recognised as Righteous Among the Nations for rescuing a Jewish child during the Vel d’Hiv Roundup has been vandalised in central Paris, just days before France marked the 83rd anniversary of one of the darkest episodes of the Holocaust.
The plaque commemorates Arsène and Angèle Richard and their daughter Marcelle, who saved the life of Edmond Rajchman, then aged 13, during the mass arrests of Jews in July 1942. The memorial was found broken through the middle, with much of its inscription destroyed.
The vandalism prompted widespread condemnation from French officials, who linked the attack to the broader rise in antisemitism across the country.
Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire denounced the act, stating: “At a time when antisemitism is growing every day in our society, and on the eve of the weekend commemorating the Vel d’Hiv Roundup, I want to reaffirm my unwavering support for the Jewish community.”
“Paris is, and will remain, a city that stands against all forms of hatred,” he added. “The fight against antisemitism will always remain an absolute priority of my political commitment.”
Alice Rufo, France’s Deputy Defence Minister, also condemned the desecration, declaring: “To attack the Righteous is to desecrate the entire universe. The plaque will be restored. Their memory remains undiminished. In the face of antisemitism, in all its forms, the Republic will not yield an inch.”
The Vel d’Hiv Roundup, carried out on 16 and 17 July 1942, was the largest mass arrest of Jews in France during the Second World War. More than 13,000 Jewish men, women and children were arrested in Paris by French police acting under the orders of the collaborationist Vichy regime.
Those detained were taken to the Vélodrome d’Hiver (Vel d’Hiv), where they were held for several days in appalling conditions without adequate food, sanitation, ventilation or medical care. Many later perished after being deported to Auschwitz. The roundup accounted for more than a quarter of the approximately 42,000 Jews deported from France to the Nazi death camp in 1942.
During the Vel d’Hiv official commemoration, Grégoire paid tribute to those honoured as Righteous Among the Nations, saying: “Faced with a criminal regime that sought to erase our national motto, the Righteous ensured its meaning and strength were preserved. They leave us with the ongoing imperative to combat all forms of hatred, racism and antisemitism.”
The Paris Police Prefecture also condemned the attack, describing the destruction of the plaque as “an unspeakable act”. In a statement, it said that preserving the memory of the Holocaust also means pursuing “with force and determination the struggle against all expressions of hatred”.
Police confirmed that an investigation is underway to identify those responsible and bring them before the courts.
