The Anne Frank statue in Amsterdam was defaced with pro-Palestinian graffiti on Sunday.
This is the second attack on the statue within a month.
Located in Merwedeplein near the Anne Frank House, the statue’s base was spray-painted with “Free Gaza,” and the girl’s hands were marked with red paint, according to AFP.
The defacement likely occurred overnight.
Police have opened an investigation but have not identified any suspects yet. This act of vandalism is a significant affront to Anne Frank’s memory, an icon of the Dutch Jewish community who died at 16 in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945.
Her diary remains a powerful account of the Holocaust, which decimated three-quarters of the Netherlands’ 140,000 Jews.
Sunday marked 80 years since the Nazis arrested the Frank family on August 4, 1944.
Their former refuge, now a museum, stands as a poignant reminder of their story and suffering.
The previous incident occurred on July 9, prompting local authorities to call for increased security, including video surveillance and night-time lighting.
Antisemitic incidents have surged globally amid the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants, which intensified after Hamas’ attacks on October 7.
The attacks resulted in 1,197 deaths, mainly civilians.
Israel’s subsequent campaign has led to at least 39,580 deaths in Gaza, according to the territory’s health ministry.
