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The Anne Frank Memorial In The US Vandalised With Swastika Stickers

The Anne Frank Memorial In The US Vandalised With Swastika Stickers

People have since visited the statues to leave flowers and notes in response to the vandalism

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

The only Anne Frank memorial in the United States has been vandalised with swastika stickers alongside the words: "We are everywhere".

The memorial includes a statue of Anne Frank showing her holding her diary and peering out of the window from the secret annex that she shared with her family for 761 days as they hid from Nazis.

The monuments, which are located at the Wassmuth Center for Human Rights in Boise, Idaho, also consist of a statue which represents the 'spiral of injustice' - that too had stickers attached to it.

Dan Prinzing, the director of Wassmuth Center for Human Rights, told CNN: "Frankly, it's a sad day. The Memorial is located in the heart of the capital city; we are the heart of the city.

"Such a blatant act of hate, directed in such a fashion, emboldened to occur, is just sad. We also recognise that now we must fundraise to add a security system in the Memorial."

He added: "The Memorial was funded by individuals, businesses and foundation to be a physical statement of our shared values; we recognize today that one of those values is that we must stand up to confront hate."

After sharing pictures on Facebook of the defaced statues, people rallied around to visit and place flowers and notes at the memorial site.

Facebook/Wassmuth Center for Human Rights

Taking to Facebook, the page wrote: "Thank you to our community. We are so grateful for the calls of support today. While it has been suggested to hold a vigil in the Memorial, we are asking that we stand together to confront hate - BUT NOT physically stand together in the Memorial.

"Let us each stand up in our homes, neighborhoods, schools and places of work when we hear words that demean or marginalize members of our community.

"Let us each stand up and be a force of goodness. Let us stand together as a community of compassion and kindness."

Facebook/Wassmuth Center for Human Rights

Commenting on the posts, people condemned the vandalism, with one person writing: "It is time for the good people of Idaho to take a stand against these bullies. This is not freedom of speech. It is outright intimidation and cannot be tolerated any longer."

Another added: "Completely unacceptable. Take your cowardice somewhere else, preferably a galaxy far, far away. Go live on the Death Star, your hate has no power here."

And a third wrote: "This breaks my heart, but not my spirit. Sending thoughts and support to Wassmuth Center and to Dan as well. I stand with you. Change is coming."

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Wassmuth Center for Human Rights

Topics: News, US News, US