A 17-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of throwing a rock through a glass Holocaust memorial in Boston.

Two bystanders saw the teenager shatter a glass panel at the New England Holocaust Memorial, the Boston Police Department said. The bystanders tackled and detained him until police arrived.

The broken panel was etched with numbers that represent the tattoos given to Jewish people by the Nazis. The memorial bears millions of these numbers, carved into the panels and hung from 54-foot towers.

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum said in a statement that it was “deeply alarmed” by the vandalism.

“This is an egregious affront to Holocaust memory and Holocaust survivors as well as American society,“ the statement read.

The suspect has been charged with willful destruction of property, and police are investigating whether the act was a hate crime.

The vandalism comes on the heels of a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where some attendees carried Nazi flags and chanted “Jew will not replace us”. Three people died, and dozens more were injured, in connection with the weekend’s events.

“In light of the recent events and unrest in Charlottesville, it’s sad to see a young person choose to engage in such senseless and shameful behaviour,” Police Commissioner William Evans said.

He added: “Clearly, this type of behaviour will not be tolerated in our city.”

Police officers stood guard at the memorial overnight on Monday to protect the panels. Visitors left flowers and candles near the vandalism site.

“Today & every day Boston stands up against hate,” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said on Twitter. “I'm saddened to see such a despicable action in this great city.”

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

The Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights organisation, reports anti-Semitic hate crimes jumped almost 90 per cent in the first three months of 2017. The Boston memorial has already been vandalised once this summer, when a 21-year-old man allegedly shattered another of the glass panels. The suspect has plead not guilty to charges of vandalism.

This summer’s incidents mark the first time the memorial has been vandalised since it opened in 1995. The memorial’s dedication was attended by author and Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who warned the audience that racism was still alive and well.