Several Paris Jewish institutions sprayed with green paint

PARIS (Reuters) - Five Jewish institutions were sprayed with green paint in Paris overnight and an investigation has been opened, a police source said on Saturday.

Police found the paint damage early on Saturday on the Shoah Memorial, which is the Holocaust museum in Paris, three synagogues and a restaurant in the historic Jewish neighbourhood of Le Marais, the source said.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said on X that he was disgusted by these "despicable acts targetting the Jewish community".

It was not yet known who committed the damage, or why. The Interior Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on details of the incidents.

France has seen a rise in hate crimes: last year police recorded an 11% rise in racist, xenophobic or antireligious crimes, according to official data published in March. The figures did not break down the attacks on different religions.