Kosher restaurant vandalised with swastikas and antisemitic graffiti in Paris

A kosher restaurant in Paris, the Mac Queen, was ransacked and vandalised overnight by a group of unidentified individuals on 1st October.

The walls were defaced with antisemitic graffiti that included phrases such as “Hitler was right” and “Jews get out”. Several tables and windows were destroyed, and swastikas had been painted across the interior decor. Witnesses stated that they counted at least ten swastikas and up to fifty antisemitic slogans drawn on the walls. The abbreviation “FDP”, belonging to a neo-Nazi group, Front des Patriotes, was also seen scrawled around the restaurant.

Prior to leaving the premises, the perpetrators tampered with the water supply in an attempt to flood the business. The managers of Mac Queen discovered the damage the following morning.

The Chair of the French Union of Jewish Students, stated concerns were rising amongst Parisian Jews and many believe that, “In France in 2020, eating in a kosher restaurant is now a danger.”

Earlier this year, French officials announced antisemitic acts and hate crimes reportedly increased last year by 27%, with 687 acts recorded in 2019. Figures from the previous year stood at 541 incidents.

The recent vandalism of the popular kosher restaurant was denounced by the French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin following pressure from Nathalie Goulet, a representative of Paris in the French Senate, who called for a policy of zero tolerance to be stressed to the public. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has publicly condemned the “hateful act” in solidarity with the local Jewish community.

Investigations into the incident are on-going and no suspects have yet been identified.

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