Amid a surge in anti-Semitic incidents, the Santa Monica Police Department is investigating multiple reports of anti-Semitic graffiti found around the city in recent days, officials said.
Police said the graffiti included swastikas and anti-Semitic messages written on sidewalks and lampposts.
“We are appalled by these cowardly anti-Semitic acts,” Santa Monica Police Chief Ramon Batista said in a statement. “Our administration is fully committed to preserving the safety and dignity of all members of our community.”
Police said some graffiti was spotted in the Pico neighborhood, near the 2100 and 2300 blocks of Pico Boulevard.
One family decided to turn swastikas painted on the sidewalks into an art project.
“We are taking the liberty of making it an anti-defamation family art project,” Zachara Lubetin wrote in a Facebook post.
In the video, the family is seen taking a bucket of chalk to draw a swastika.
“We're going to turn them into flowers and butterflies,” Taylor Kaufman said in the video.
It is unclear how many incidents have been reported to police from around the city. A ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for information.
The Los Angeles Council on American-Islamic Relations on Monday condemned the Nazi graffiti.
“Hate in any form must not be tolerated in our societies, and we strongly condemn this blatant display of anti-Semitism,” said Hossam Ayloush, Executive Director of CAIR-LA. “The Jewish community deserves to feel safe in their homes, and these horrific actions violate that right to safety.”
In Southern California, a series of high-profile incidents, including attacks and graffiti, highlighted what Jewish civil rights organizations had been reporting for months — a sharp increase in anti-Semitic incidents.
Weeks after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, anti-Semitic messages were found painted outside a popular Canter's Deli in the Fairfax area. Anti-Semitic fliers were found in Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Culver City and Huntington Beach.
On Friday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the “Golden State Plan” aimed at addressing and combating rising anti-Semitism in the state.
The plan was developed jointly by the California Legislative Jewish Caucus and other Jewish organizations, including the California Jewish Public Affairs Committee.
The plan looks to increase funding for security in Jewish communities, address anti-Semitic incidents, and make changes to student codes of conduct at schools and universities where some incidents have occurred.
Santa Monica Police ask anyone with information about graffiti, or to report new incidents, to call (310) 458-8491.
