As anti-Semitic incidents increase, Santa Monica police are investigating several reports of anti-Semitic graffiti discovered around the city in recent days, officials said.
The graffiti included swastikas and anti-Semitic messages plastered on sidewalks and lampposts, police said.
“We are appalled by these cowardly acts of anti-Semitism,” Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista said in a statement. “Our department is fully committed to ensuring the safety and dignity of all members of our community.”
Some graffiti was spotted in the Pico neighborhood, near the 2100 and 2300 blocks of Pico Boulevard, police said.
A family decided to turn the swastikas painted on the sidewalks into an art project.
“We are taking the liberty of making this an anti-defamation family art project,” Zachara Lupetin wrote on Facebook.
In the video, the family is seen taking a bucket of chalk to draw the swastikas.
“We’re going to make it flowers and butterflies,” Taylor Coffman said in the video.
It’s unclear how many incidents have been reported to city police. A ministry spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for information.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Council on American-Islamic Relations condemned Nazi graffiti.
“Hate in any form must not be tolerated in our communities, and we strongly condemn this blatant display of anti-Semitism,” said CAIR-LA Executive Director Hussam Ayloush. “The Jewish community deserves to feel safe in their homes, and these appalling actions undermine that right to safety. »
In Southern California, a series of high-profile incidents, including attacks and graffiti, have highlighted what Jewish civil rights organizations have been reporting for months: a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
A few weeks after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, anti-Semitic messages were found painted in front of the famous Canter’s Deli in the Fairfax neighborhood. Anti-Semitic leaflets were found in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Culver City and Huntington Beach.
On Friday, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a “Golden State Plan” intended to combat rising anti-Semitism in the state.
The plan was developed in collaboration with the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and other Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Public Affairs Committee of California.
The plan aims to increase funding for security for Jewish communities, combat anti-Semitic incidents and make changes to student codes of conduct at schools and universities where some incidents have occurred.
Santa Monica Police are asking anyone with information about the graffiti or reporting new incidents to call (310) 458-8491.
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