Geneva – Many antisemitic graffiti have appeared in the City of Geneva since the Hamas attack on Israel. Around fifty have already been cleared by the specialized road team. The Municipality will file a criminal complaint.
“The walls of the city have probably never seen so many graffiti falling under criminal law as in recent days,” noted the City of Geneva in a press release on Friday. Before the conflict, since the beginning of September, the roads have removed nearly 130 antisemitic graffiti, often accompanied by swastikas.
“These acts are completely unacceptable and my department will file a complaint in the hope that the authors of these racist and antisemitic graffiti which constitute a criminal violation and damage to property will be caught by the police,” underlines Marie Barbey-Chpuis, administrative advisor in charge of the Department of Security and Sports, cited in the press release. Police patrols will also be reinforced.
The roads have erased the graffiti on public buildings, street furniture but also, exceptionally, on private buildings, given the seriousness of the inscriptions. The City points out, however, that private owners and authorities are responsible for having the graffiti removed from their buildings by their own means.