Swastikas Found on Stanford Campus and in Surrounding Area
Image by Stanford Hillel
Several swastikas have reportedly been found scrawled on the campus of Stanford University and the surrounding neighborhood of Palo Alto, California.
“We do not know exactly when it occurred since the university has been on winter break closure since December 21st until today (Wednesday),” Bill Larson, a spokesman for the campus police, told the San Jose Mercury. “We take something like this very seriously,” he added, saying that his office was closely working with the Palo Alto cops. “The detectives are doing their best to look for video evidence to find who did it.”
According to the report, the swastikas (often badly drawn) popped up on 10 street signs near and within the prestigious university’s campus. One of the swastikas was accompanied with the words “No Jews Allowed.” Police are treating the incident as a hate crime, and have removed the offending symbols from the street signs.
Cory Wolbach, a Palo Alto city councilman, denounced the vandalism, and said that he learned about it Monday night, promptly going to one of the street signs and using alcohol wipes to remove the swastika. “When we passed our resolution last month supporting an inclusive community and rejecting bigotry (including specifically calling out anti-semitism), some asked if it was necessary,” he told the San Jose Mercury, referring to the city council’s response to President-elect Donald Trump’s election. Wolbach said by email Tuesday. “Sadly, we now see how important it is. Palo Alto is a wonderful community, but not immune from bigotry and hate crimes.”
Contact Daniel J. Solomon at [email protected] or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we still need 300 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Only 300 more gifts needed by April 30
