Bulgarian citizens were behind the red handprints sprayed on the Wall of the Righteous Among the Nations in Paris. They left France quickly, avoiding arrest, The French newspaper "Le Canard Enchaîné" reported Wednesday.
The red handprints, a symbol of protest against Israel, sparked outrage among the Jewish community and throughout France. "The defacement of the Wall of the Righteous Among the Nations, who stood as a barrier of light against the Nazis, is an affront to the memory of these heroes and an insult to the victims of the Holocaust. The Republic will, as always, respond severely to this despicable act," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X.
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Red handprints sprayed on the Wall of the Righteous Among the Nations in Paris
(Photo: Screenshot)
Surveillance cameras at the scene identified two individuals with spray paint and a stencil of a hand. They were Bulgarian citizens who left France for Belgium just hours after the act.
According to sources, this was a Russian provocation, similar to the blue Star of David graffiti sprayed on the walls of Jewish homes in Paris at the end of October, shortly after the October 7 terror attack. That incident involved two Moldovan citizens paid by a Russian national, likely linked to Moscow’s intelligence.
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Star of David sprayed on facade of home belonging to Jewish people, in Paris, France
(Photo: Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)
The graffiti then caused a stir, raising questions about its intent. Some saw it as an anti-Semitic act, while others suggested it might have been done by Israel supporters.
The Wall of the Righteous Among the Nations, located within the Holocaust Museum complex, is near the route for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, set to begin in Paris in about two months. Intelligence sources have already indicated that the Russians were trying to disrupt the celebrations after their delegation was banned from flying the Russian flag and representing Russia.
Police suspect Russians were also responsible for anti-Olympic graffiti sprayed near Notre-Dame Cathedral. "Beware, you might fall from the balcony," read messages on several buildings in the area. This is a warning to tourists who pay to crowd onto old balconies along the Olympic ceremony route.