A memorial to one of the four Jewish victims of the 2015 terrorist attack on the Hypercacher kosher supermarket in eastern Paris has been vandalized.
On Wednesday morning it was discovered that stone monument in Sarcelles dedicated to Yohan Cohen, a 20-year old supermarket employee who was killed by Islamist terrorist Amedy Coulibaly, had been desecrated.
The member of parliament who represents the area issued a statement condemning the defacement.
“It is with the utmost firmness that I condemn the desecration of the monument that I erected in Sarcelles in memory of Yohan Cohen, victim of the anti-Semitic attack on the Hypercacher in Paris,” said Francois Pupponi.
He called for those responsible to be arrested and given the maximum punishment for their “despicable acts.”
“I will do my best to (work with) the authorities to do everything possible to identify and arrest the culprits as quickly as possible,” Pupponi said.
The Burau National de Vigilance Contre l'Antisemitisme (BNVCA), which assists French victims of anti-Semitism, said that local police had already been called about the vandalism by a Jewish community leader and had failed to act, reported the Algemeiner.
Alain Bensimon, the president of the Garges-lès-Gonesse Jewish community, saw a man vandalizing the memorial.
The BNVCA stated that Bensimon told them he “called the police to warn them, they didn’t move.” He added that the vandal was carrying a bag with a large metal bar inside.