NYC vandalism linked to war in the Middle East; Palestinian Mission to UN and homes of Brooklyn Museum leaders targeted
UPPER EAST SIDE (WABC) — Police are investigating a string of vandalism targeting the Palestinian Authority building on the Upper East Side and homes of Jewish leaders of the Brooklyn Museum.
One of the incidents happened on 65th Street near Park Avenue happened around 6 a.m. Wednesday.
Police responded to the scene, where the street had been found littered with pamphlets and red paint.
The leaflets accused the Palestinian Authority of being too close to Israel and the United States and said “long live the intifada.”
John Del Giorno reports from NewsCopter 7 over the scene on the Upper East Side.
A supervisor in a nearby building says his surveillance video, he did not want to share with us out of privacy concerns, shows two people on the back of a U-Haul truck shortly after 65th Street was littered with paper and red paint.
Some 15 demonstrators were briefly at the scene before leaving in the U-Haul.
It appears similar acts of vandalism took place overnight at the homes of members of the Brooklyn Museum.
City Comptroller Brad Lander posted on X (formerly Twitter) that vandals defaced the homes of the Jewish director and several Jewish board members of the Brooklyn museum.
Police are investigating if the incidents are connected.
The vandalism also led the governor and New York City mayor to speak out.
“This is not peaceful protest or free speech. This is a crime, and it’s overt, unacceptable antisemitism.
These actions will never be tolerated in New York City for any reason. I’m sorry to Anne Pasternak and members of @brooklynmuseum’s board who woke up to hatred like this.
I spoke to Anne this morning and committed that this hate will not stand in our city. The NYPD is investigating and will bring the criminals responsible here to justice,” Mayor Eric Adams posted on X.
Governor Kathy Hochul posted, “This is an abhorrent act of antisemitism and it has no place in New York or anywhere else.
We stand with the Jewish community in the face of hate and will continue to fight antisemitism wherever it rears its ugly head.”
The Brooklyn Museum was the site of a pro-Palestinian protest earlier this month that ended with 34 arrests.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
READ MORE: Congestion pricing in New York City indefinitely postponed, official says
The Eyewitness News Mornings @ 10 team reports on the postponement of congestion pricing.
———-
* Get Eyewitness News Delivered
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
Read More
