Amsterdam's Anne Frank Statue Hit by Vandals Again

A statue of Anne Frank in Amsterdam, not far from the famous Anne Frank House, has been vandalized for the second time with a message regarding Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza. CBS News reports that the structure was defaced on Sunday in Merwedeplein square, with "Free Gaza" written in red paint at the statue's base, and red paint also splattered on the statue's hands (see the images online here and here). Per AT5, the statue was vandalized previously on July 9. After that incident, authorities boosted surveillance efforts by adding cameras and lighting around the statue for the nighttime hours.

"Gaza protesters have desecrated the statue of Anne Frank in Amsterdam," one person notes of the more recent vandalism. "Barbarians." The AFP notes that Sunday marked the 80th anniversary of when Frank's family were arrested in Amsterdam, deported, and sent to concentration camps. The diary kept by Frank, who died at Bergen-Belsen at the age of 15, became one of the most well-known accounts of the Holocaust. Police, who note the vandals likely struck overnight Saturday, say an investigation is ongoing, with an Amsterdam rep telling AFP that no suspects have yet emerged. (More Anne Frank stories.)