TORONTO (August 24, 2017) – Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center(FSWC) denounces the appalling graffiti that was found yesterday in Montreal.The phrase “ARBEIT MACHTFREI” – which translates into “work sets youfree” in German and was used at the entrance of Auschwitz and other Naziconcentration camps during the Holocaust – was written on a playground in theMile End neighbourhood.

"This slogan is a painfulreminder of the horrific concentration camps that Jews were sent to during theHolocaust, and it's something that we should not beingseeing today as graffiti in any public place," said Avi Benlolo,FSWC President and CEO.

Corey Fleischer, who will bespeaking at this year's Freedom Day, cleaned the graffiti after being notifiedby one of his followers. In a video he posted on his Facebook page yesterday,Fleischer said the city was notified about the hate crime at 9:45 a.m. but noone had shown up by the time the video was recorded in the afternoon.