Antisemitic Vandalism Strikes Brooklyn Playground Twice in 24 Hours
57 Swastikas: For the second time in three days, a playground in Brooklyn's Borough Park has been covered in antisemitic graffiti. The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating after vandals painted Nazi symbols and "Adolf Hitler" across Gravesend Park.
For the second time in three days, Gravesend Park in Brooklyn's Borough Park, a neighborhood with a significant Jewish community, has been defaced with antisemitic graffiti, including 57 swastikas painted on playground equipment and surrounding areas.
The symbols, rendered in red, yellow, and blue paint, appeared on slides, the handball court wall, and walkways, with some encircling the name "Adolf Hitler."
The latest incident was discovered around 11 a.m. on Wednesday, following an earlier vandalism on Monday where police found swastikas in red paint on similar surfaces, along with recovered paint bottles.
The NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating both as hate crimes, with no arrests reported yet.
Local officials and organizations have condemned the acts. Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso stated, "I am sickened by this antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park. Antisemitism has no place in our city."
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) echoed the sentiment, noting that parents should not fear their children encountering hatred at a playground.
Community Board 12 highlighted the recurrence, warning that the perpetrators "got away once, tried again."
Boro Park Shomrim, a Jewish neighborhood watch group, documented the vandalism, emphasizing its impact in an area home to many Holocaust survivors.
Cleanup efforts are underway, but the incidents reflect a broader surge in antisemitic hate crimes in New York City, where such acts comprised 57% of total hate crimes reported last year.