Nearly a dozen swastikas were found spray painted at parks in Queens on Mother’s Day, New York City police said, days after antisemitic graffiti was also found on synagogues, houses and a car in the borough.
The NYPD said Monday officers found five red swastikas on signs inside Highlight Park and six more on an underpass in Forest Park between 8 a.m. and noon Sunday.
“Yet another hateful incident”
New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin posted pictures of the graffiti on X, showing red swastikas painted on white columns along an underpass and another covering a “Highland Park Ridgewood Reservoir” sign.
“This is yet another hateful incident meant to intimidate Jewish New Yorkers and divide our city. And we want to be clear: We cannot and will not accept this as normal,” Menin said, posting a joint statement with Councilmembers Lynn Shulman and Joann Ariola.
The Parks Department was working to remove the graffiti “as soon as possible,” the speaker and councilmembers said.
The NYPD has not yet established a connection between the Highland and Forest park incidents, but each was being investigated as a possible hate crime, police told CBS News New York.
Queens antisemitism investigations
Last week, four suspects allegedly painted swastikas and antisemitic statements on synagogues, homes and a car in Flushing and Forest Hills.
NYPD later released surveillance images showing the group accused of targeting the Rego Park Jewish Center and other locations.
Four people are wanted in connection with painting swastikas and antisemitic statements at multiple locations in Queens.
NYPD
“When we see Nazi symbols, when we see swastikas, when we see antisemitic graffiti, we must do more on the educational front to combat this kind of hate,” Menin said after visiting the area last week.
“There is absolutely no place in our city for this type of vile antisemitism, or hate of any kind. It must be loudly and universally condemned,” Sen. Chuck Schumer said.
No arrests have been made in connection with any of the incidents at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website.