A memorial park honoring Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch was found defaced with anti-Semitic graffiti Friday, spray-painted with swastikas and the words “Go Trump.”
Adam Yauch Park in Brooklyn Heights, New York, where Yauch used to play as a child, was named for the Beastie Boy after he died of cancer at age 47 in 2012. Yauch and the other Beastie Boys were of Jewish heritage.
“This is the park where our kids play,” one Instagram user wrote. “Wake up people. This is not ok.”
“Adam Yauch stood for tolerance,” the New York City Mayor’s Office tweeted in the wake of the incident, condemning the hateful crime.
By Saturday, the graffiti had been removed, and the park was adorned with hearts and uplifting messages of support written in chalk.
Community leaders condemned the initial vandalism, and announced a rally to “stand up against hate” would be held at the park on Sunday.
“Hate has no place in Brooklyn, NYC or America” a Twitter post from the Beastie Boys’ official account stated on Saturday, indicating the remaining group members would be present at the rally.
The defacing of Yauch’s memorial park follows a number of anti-Semitic, racist and hateful acts that have been reported in the days since Donald Trump became president-elect. In a similar act of vandalism, one student drew swastikas on classmates and another drew the anti-Semitic symbol on a white board along with the words “Go Trump.”
Many Americans have expressed concern over these displays of intolerance and have questioned the president-elect’s racist, misogynistic and anti-Muslim rhetoric during his campaign.
Since the election, thousands have taken to the streets to protest Trump’s election, chanting “Not my president” and “Love trumps hate.”
This article has been updated to include new details, including the removal of graffiti, the messages of support left at the park and news of Sunday’s rally.
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