Swastikas Found at Borough Park Playground for Second Time in Two Days

Antisemitic vandalism was discovered for a second time in two days at a children’s playground in the Borough Park area of Brooklyn, where 57 swastikas and other hateful graffiti were painted across play equipment and nearby surfaces.

The NYPD said the incident is being investigated as a hate crime. Officers responded Wednesday to reports of extensive graffiti at Gravesend Park, a playground used by many families in and around Borough Park. No arrests have been made, and no suspect images have been released.

The vandalism followed a similar incident two days earlier. On January 19, police were called to the same playground after approximately 16 swastikas were found painted on playground equipment. Just over 36 hours later, officers returned to find nearly 60 swastikas, along with the name “Adolf Hitler,” sprayed on slides, pavement, and a handball court wall in red, blue, and yellow paint.

By Wednesday afternoon, the area was no longer an active crime scene. Parks Department crews were seen using paint thinner and fresh paint to remove and cover the graffiti, reopening the playground later in the day.

The repeat attack drew sharp reaction from local community leaders. Rabbi Edgar Gluck, a member of Brooklyn Community Board 12 and the son of Holocaust survivors, said the vandalism showed a troubling escalation. “They got away with it once and tried to get away with it again,” he said. Gluck added that the imagery carried painful historical weight. “This is something that’s literally reminding us of Nazi Germany,” he said.

Police said there are no surveillance cameras inside the park, but investigators are reviewing footage from nearby cameras in hopes of identifying those responsible. The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is leading the investigation.

City, state, and federal officials also condemned the vandalism. NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the display “sickening” in a social media post, writing, “I am sickened by this antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul described the graffiti as “a depraved act of antisemitism” at a place where children should feel safe, writing on social media, “There is no excuse. There is zero tolerance. I have directed New York State’s Hate Crimes Task Force to offer assistance to the NYPD as they identify those responsible.”

U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer also issued a strong condemnation, saying, “I am appalled to learn of this antisemitic graffiti at a playground in Boro Park. There is absolutely no place in NYC, America, or the world for this disgusting vandalism. Our playgrounds and our communities must be safe spaces for all our neighbors to enjoy,” adding that he looked forward to those responsible being held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

As the investigation continues, community members said they are demanding swift arrests after the playground was targeted twice in less than two days, calling the vandalism an attack not only on the local Jewish community but on the city as a whole.