Information board about Anne Frank defaced in Gouda

An information board about Anne Frank was defaced this week in a park in Gouda. A photo taken by the local news site ZoGouds.nl shows that the sign has been painted or sprayed with the Palestinian flag so that the text is no longer legible. The National Coordinator for Anti-Semitism (NCAB) spoke of a reprehensible action on X on Saturday. "By defacing this place, you are stepping on the memory of the victims of the Holocaust."

It is not clear when the information board was defaced. According to ZoGouds.nl, a passerby discovered the graffiti on Thursday. The Gouda resident then filed a complaint with the local municipality and the police.

"The incident is (...) disappointing. And certainly doesn't help to improve society in Gouda. We should have more understanding for each other and listen to each other more and better. But no, instead, we have defaced the information board with a text about and a picture of Anne Frank, an international phenomenon. There are no words for that.", the Gouda citizen, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the local news site.

A spokeswoman for the municipality of Gouda said she was aware of the graffiti, which the municipality considers "unacceptable." She said the sign does not belong to the municipality but to the "Oosterwei Resistance Heroes" working group. This working group also maintains and manages the information boards, of which there are several in Gouda, in addition to the Anne Frank board. "It is sad to hear that this sign has been defaced in this way," said the city spokeswoman. "We condemn any form of vandalism."

The police could not be reached for comment on Saturday morning.

This summer, the Anne Frank statue on Merwedeplein in Amsterdam was defaced twice with pro-Palestinian texts. Pro-Gaza slogans were also sprayed on other statues in the capital, including that of Mahatma Gandhi. The city administration has reported this.