Swastika carved in California lawn Image by Getty Images

A California man carved a giant swastika into his front yard, then claimed he doesn’t know it was a hateful symbol, NBC News San Diego reported.

The El Sobrante homeowner, Steven Johnson, asserted that it’s actually a centuries-old Tibetan symbol. It can be clearly seen in an aerial view of his home.

“It doesn’t represent anything,” Johnson told the NBC affiliate. “That represents me not having to pull weeds over in that part of my yard; that’s what it represents to me. What does it represent to you?”

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The neighbors are in agreement: It’s a swastika, the symbol of Nazism. And many are afraid.

Renee Schultz, who is Jewish and has lived next to Johnson for almost 30 years, was shocked — she said he’s never done this before.

“I was very clear with him about my feelings,” she said. “I don’t agree with it; I think it’s wrong. I don’t like it, but it is his yard.”

County supervisor John Gioia said there’s nothing the county can do, but he encouraged people to share their concerns.

The yard also features a peace sign, and there are swastika-like symbols around the doorbell, according to NBC San Diego.

Johnson claimed to be unfamiliar with the symbol’s history, at one point asking, “What is a swastika?”

He also has a swastika sticker of one on his motorcycles, but when questioned about it, he asked reporters to leave.

Alyssa Fisher is a writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount