Besançon authorities file complaint after swastikas found in park

Swastikas were discovered in Marulaz Park in Besançon on the morning of September 25, 2026. The Nazi symbols, painted in yellow and blue, were found on a dry stone wall and a public bench in the Battant district.

In a related incident during the same night, a piano tuner's van had its tires slashed. The city of Besançon mobilized cleaning teams to remove the graffiti and confirmed the presence of two swastikas.

Mayor Ludovic Fagaut denounced the acts as “symbols of hate, racism, and antisemitism” that have no place in the city. He announced that a formal complaint would be filed to identify the perpetrators and ensure they are held accountable before the justice system.