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<\/a> in Richmond Hill<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing swastikas appear once again in Queens should alarm every New Yorker. This is not random vandalism, and it is not happening in a vacuum,\u201d Council Member Joann Ariola said. \u201cOver the past several years, we\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n A bipartisan coalition of Queens officials condemned the latest graffiti.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAntisemitic attacks against the Jewish community have been on the rise, especially within the past week,\u201d said Council Member Lynn Schulman, co-chair of the Council\u2019s Jewish Caucus. \u201cFirst 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.\u201d<\/p>\n State Senator Joseph Addabbo concurred, adding that the appearance of swastikas and antisemitic graffiti in parks and neighborhoods is hateful, disturbing, and completely unacceptable.<\/p>\n \u201cThese acts are not harmless vandalism \u2014 they are deliberate symbols of intimidation and hatred directed at the Jewish community and at the values of respect and inclusion that define Queens,\u201d he said. \u201cWe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Assemblymember Andrew Hevesi called the latest incidents a very disturbing, well documented trend that is dangerous to ignore.\n<\/p>\n \u201cAnd further, it shouldn\u2019t be taken lightly this has been happening right here in Queens \u2014 home to one of the largest Jewish communities outside of Israel,\u201d Hevesi said. \u201cAll 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 \u2014 not just in the World\u2019s Borough, but everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n The city\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cHate has no place in our parks,\u201d a NYC Parks spokesperson said Monday. \u201cWhen bias graffiti or hate speech is discovered, we work to remove it immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar commended NYC Parks for acting quickly to remove the offensive graffiti.\n<\/p>\n \u201cLast 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,\u201d she said Monday. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vandals-swastikas-forest-park-highland-park-antisemitic-graffiti03.jpg\")
A swastika was found spray painted on a sign at Highland Park on Sunday, May 10.Courtesy of Ariola\u2019s office<\/p>\n![\"NYC](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vandals-swastikas-forest-park-highland-park-antisemitic-graffiti02.jpeg\")
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
\n![\"Park](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vandals-swastikas-forest-park-highland-park-antisemitic-graffiti04.jpeg\")
Park Supervisor Paul Malcolm at Highland Park uses graffiti remover, to wash away the graffiti.Courtesy of NYC Parks<\/p>\n
![\"Members](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/vandals-swastikas-forest-park-highland-park-antisemitic-graffiti05.webp\")
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<\/p>\n