A swastika was discovered Thursday morning spray-painted on a dumpster in front of a YMCA in Providence. Staff say they removed the anti-Semitic symbol shortly after its discovery.
In a statement, Greater Providence YMCA CEO Steven O’Donnell called it “an unfortunate, and hopefully isolated, incident.”
O’Donnell said the graffiti was reported to Providence Police.
The perpetrator and motive for the graffiti remain unknown, but Marty Cooper of the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island said he sees it a yet another example of an uptick in anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim acts across the country.
“It almost feels as if people are empowered to show their hate,” said Cooper. “But at the same time, I’m not so certain that people really realize that they’re being hateful. Some people are doing it because they think it’s neat, it’s cool. It’s not cool.”
Cooper said he’s noticed the increase in the last six months.
“You have to be vigilant,” said Cooper. “Whether you’re in a church or a synagogue, whether you’re out grocery shopping or you’re at the mall. You now have to report stuff, if you see something. Unfortunately that’s where we are now in our society.”
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza launched a hate-crime hotline in December after reports of an uptick in harassment for minority residents. Elorza says those reports will be collected and monitored for trends.
This post has been updated.
