Nearly a dozen more swastikas were discovered in two Queens parks on Sunday as a wave of antisemitic vandalism continues to alarm the borough’s Jewish community and elected leaders.
Police from the 104th Precinct in Ridgewood were notified of a possible bias incident in the vicinity of Highland Boulevard and Vermont Place.
When officers arrived at the scene, they found five swastikas spray painted over signs, objects and pavement at Highland Park and the Ridgewood Reservoir. Hours earlier, police from the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill were called to 72nd Road and Union Turnpike at noon where they found six swastikas spray-painted on the walls of an underpass near the Forest Park Playground. There have been no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing.
A swastika was found spray painted on a sign at Highland Park on Sunday, May 10.Courtesy of Ariola’s office
“Seeing swastikas appear once again in Queens should alarm every New Yorker. This is not random vandalism, and it is not happening in a vacuum,” Council Member Joann Ariola said. “Over the past several years, we’ve seen antisemitism increasingly minimized, excused, or tolerated in parts of our political discourse, and this has created an atmosphere where Jewish New Yorkers feel targeted in their own communities. We cannot allow this kind of hatred to take root here in Queens or anywhere in New York City, and those responsible must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
A bipartisan coalition of Queens officials condemned the latest graffiti.
“Antisemitic attacks against the Jewish community have been on the rise, especially within the past week,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman, co-chair of the Council’s Jewish Caucus. “First it was swastikas in Forest Hills and Rego Park, and now in Highland and Forest Parks. This is more than an NYPD problem: this is a NYC issue that must be addressed before symbols of hate become acts of violence against individuals.”
State Senator Joseph Addabbo concurred, adding that the appearance of swastikas and antisemitic graffiti in parks and neighborhoods is hateful, disturbing, and completely unacceptable.
“These acts are not harmless vandalism — they are deliberate symbols of intimidation and hatred directed at the Jewish community and at the values of respect and inclusion that define Queens,” he said. “We must continue standing united against antisemitism in all forms and ensure those responsible are held accountable. No resident should ever feel unsafe or targeted because of their faith or identity.”
Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi called the latest incidents a very disturbing, well documented trend that is dangerous to ignore.
“And further, it shouldn’t be taken lightly this has been happening right here in Queens — home to one of the largest Jewish communities outside of Israel,” Hevesi said. “All leaders across the state need to call this antisemitic hate for what it is, direct resources accordingly, and put in place the policy to back it up. Everyone has the right to feel safe — not just in the World’s Borough, but everywhere.”
The city’s Parks Department worked with the NYPD to ensure that all of the graffiti was reported and documented. NYC Parks crews removed all of the antisemitic graffiti by noon Monday.
NYC Parks workers removed the antisemitic graffiti from the tunnel at Forest Park and Highland Park by noon on May 11.Courtesy of NYC Parks
Park Supervisor Paul Malcolm at Highland Park uses graffiti remover, to wash away the graffiti.Courtesy of NYC Parks
“Hate has no place in our parks,” a NYC Parks spokesperson said Monday. “When bias graffiti or hate speech is discovered, we work to remove it immediately.”
Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar commended NYC Parks for acting quickly to remove the offensive graffiti.
“Last night, Nazi hate symbols were spray painted along the Orange Trail in Forest Park. This vile act of antisemitism seeks to intimidate our Jewish community and spread hate and fear,” she said Monday. “I spoke directly with the 102nd Precinct and I commend their swift coordination with the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate and pursue those responsible. We will not allow hatred to take root in our community. We will confront antisemitism with moral clarity, hold those responsible fully accountable, and stand against every form of hate.”
The latest swastika graffiti was discovered while the Jewish community rallied at Yellowstone Park in Forest Hills on Sunday to denounce the previous acts of antisemitic vandalism on May 4.
Members of the Queens Jewish community railed on May 10 to denounce antisemitism after a group of hateful teenagers scrawled swastikas over synagogues and houses in the Forest Hills and Rego Park areas.Photo by Dean Moses
“I was outraged to hear of another desecration of our public spaces with the symbol of one of the worst regimes in history,” Queens Jewish Community Council President Barry Grodenchick said Monday. “All people of good will must band together to reject a very small minority of people who seek to divide us with hate. I continue to have every confidence that our police will bring those responsible to justice and I thank all our public officials who stand with us.”