Vandals spray-paint swastikas in Forest Park and Highland Park nearly a week after other antisemitic graffiti was found in Rego Park and Forest Hills

"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. 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."

"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."

Police were notified of possible bias incidents after swastikas were found spray-painted in Queens parks. In Ridgewood, officers from the 104th Precinct responded near Highland Boulevard and Vermont Place and discovered five swastikas painted over signs, objects, and pavement at Highland Park and the Ridgewood Reservoir. Earlier, officers from the 102nd Precinct responded near 72nd Road and Union Turnpike and found six swastikas painted on the walls of an underpass near Forest Park Playground. No arrests were reported, and investigations remain ongoing. Queens elected officials condemned the vandalism, linking it to a broader rise in antisemitism and warning that hate symbols can escalate into violence if not addressed.

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