Anti-Israel graffiti removed from SEPTA station
The vandalism was spotted at the Spring Garden Station along the Broad Street Line on Tuesday morning.
Anti-Israel graffiti seen at the Broad Street Line’s Spring Garden station Tuesday has been removed, according to SEPTA.
The vandalism showed messages like “Boycott Israel” and “Israelites are the new nazis,” as well as “#FreeMumia” and “#AbolishPrisons.” It also included profanity, as well as the Star of David and a swastika crossed out in what appears to be marker, according to photos posted on social media.
SEPTA was made aware of the messages around 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, and the graffiti was removed by the agency’s operations staff around 8:30, said SEPTA spokesperson Heather Redfern. Police are looking into the matter, she said.
The Broad Street Line’s Spring Garden stop is near Congregation Rodeph Shalom, at Broad and Mount Vernon Streets.
The messages appeared as debate continues in Washington over comments made by freshman Rep. Ilhan Omar that were perceived as anti-Semitic. The House passed a resolution last week condemning similar speech but did not mention the Minnesota Democrat by name.
“It’s not about her. It’s about these forms of hatred,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, according to the Associated Press. She later added that the House was “not policing the speech of our members" but instead "condemning anti-Semitism.”
President Donald Trump called the Democrats an “anti-Israel party” last week.