Staff at a theatre company have been left “angry and disgusted” after vandals spray-painted a swastika on a poster promoting their play about Anne Frank and the holocaust.
The Peridot Theatre Company in Melbourne, Australia, was hosting its production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
But staff were left horrified on Friday night when discovering their poster had been targeted by vandals, who daubed a red swastika over a picture of Anne Frank.
The play is based on the Jewish teenager's diary, written when hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during the Second World War.
Speaking to the Standard, president of Peridot Theatre Company Alison Knight said the cast and director were left "very distressed" after seeing the poster had been vandalised.
She said the graffiti, which has now been cleared away, has only reinforced the importance of sharing Anne Frank's story. The graffiti also included the name Leroy.
Mrs Knight said: "The director and cast were left very distressed at the incident, they have worked hard to bring Anne's story to life.
"A Jewish lady has been advising the cast on matters of religion and culture. We believe that Anne’s story needs to be told, and we will continue telling it with even more purpose
"We are upset at the incident but have been buoyed by the support of friends in the theatre community and beyond.
"I reported the incident to the police, they are actively investigating it, especially as there seems to be a rise in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Melbourne."
The vandalism took place just one day after the show's opening night and was posted about on the theatre's Facebook page.
The post read: "Upset, angry, disgusted. Some lowlife has sprayed a swastika on the board advertising our production of 'The Diary of Anne Frank'. This action is sickening."
Quoting Anne Frank's diary, it continued: "'I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.' We are honoured to tell Anne's story. We say NO to hate."
A follow-up post later read: "The despicable vandalism just underlines the fact that stories such as Anne Frank's still need telling. Today's matinee was virtually sold out and the audience was hugely complimentary."
A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that an investigation has been launched.
