Dozens of French graves defaced with swastikas but Jewish headstones spared

BOBIGNY, France — Dozens of tombstones at graveyard in the French town of Fontainebleau were defaced with swastikas, the town’s mayor said Monday, but in an unusual twist Jewish gravestones were spared.

“Sixty-seven old or more recent gravestones were vandalized with swastikas in pink, white and silver,” Fontainebleau’s mayor Frederic Valletoux told AFP.

The words “Biobananas” and “Charles” were found inscribed on some of the graves but there was no sign of anti-Semitic graffiti, Valletoux added.

Meanwhile, the town’s Jewish cemetery which is situated next to the main cemetery was found untouched.

#Fontainebleau. Je suis scandalisé et écœuré par la découverte, ce matin, de très nombreuses tombes profanées par des croix gammées. Des actes abjects et répugnants contre lesquels je vais déposer plainte. Jamais notre cimetière n'avait été la cible de tels crimes pic.twitter.com/Fm02RvWptm

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— Frédéric Valletoux (@fredvalletoux) December 28, 2020

Famous for a royal palace that served as a country retreat for monarchs from Louis VII through to Napoleon III, as well the surrounding forest that was their hunting ground, Fontainebleau is situated about 60 kilometers south-east of Paris.

The incident is the latest to target cemeteries in France, where Jewish gravestones have regularly been targeted by vandals.

France is home to Europe’s biggest Jewish community.