How New Yorkers Deal With Swastikas on the Subway
Image by Courtesy of Gregory Locke
Image by Courtesy of Gregory Locke
I got on the subway in Manhattan on Saturday night, February 4, only to find a Swastika on every advertisement and every window. The train was silent as everyone stared at each other, uncomfortable and unsure what to do.
One guy got up and said, “Hand sanitizer gets rid of Sharpie. We need alcohol.” He found some tissues and got to work.
I’ve never seen so many people simultaneously reach into their bags and pockets looking for tissues and Purell.
Image by Courtesy of Gregory Locke
Within about two minutes, all the Nazi symbolism was gone.
Image by Courtesy of Gregory Locke
Nazi symbolism. On a public train. In New York City. In 2017.
“I guess this is Trump’s America,” said one passenger.
No sir, it’s not. Not tonight and not ever. Not as long as stubborn New Yorkers have anything to say about it.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
