Two 15-year-olds charged after Brooklyn playground covered with dozens of swastikas

Thursday, January 22, 2026
GRAVESEND PARK, Brooklyn (WABC) -- Two 15-year-old boys have been charged after nearly 60 swastikas were discovered at a playground in Brooklyn.

Officials say one of the boys has been charged with aggravated harassment and criminal mischief as a hate crime, while other was charged with aggravated harassment.

It comes as New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who introduced antisemitism legislation in one of her first acts as speaker, visited Gravesend Park, where the dozens of swastikas were discovered.

She was joined by other Borough Park community leaders on Thursday afternoon.

"It is disgusting. It is deplorable. It is unconscionable, and we're not going to sit by and let this continue to happen," Menin said.



The swastikas were painted on playground slides and on the wall of a handball court in red, yellow and blue paint with other antisemitic vandalism.

It's the second day someone targeted this park.

The offensive images were wiped away and painted over Wednesday, and kids were out Thursday on the equipment, but the hurt lingers.

"Words are not enough. Condemning is not enough. There has to be change, immediate change," said community activist Devorah Halberstam.

Halberstam's son was killed in an antisemitic terrorist attack in New York 30 years ago. She and others are frustrated that antisemitism is on the rise.



"We know that the Jewish population is 10% of city residents right now, yet 57% of all hate crimes are antisemitic," Menin said. "And so at this point, we have to stand up and do something."

Last Friday, Menin released a five-point plan to combat antisemitism, something one high school student agrees with.

"I think they do a good job teaching about the Holocaust, but they don't talk about antisemitism as much because they don't talk about current, the current living situation," Mafi Mohammed said.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the display of antisemitism "sickening" in a post on social media.

"I am sickened by this antisemitic vandalism in Borough Park. Antisemitism has no place in our city, and I stand shoulder to shoulder with the Jewish New Yorkers who were targeted. My administration is working closely with the NYPD's Hate Crimes Task Force as well as our Parks Department, and those responsible will be investigated and held accountable," Mamdani said.



Other elected leaders and the ADL are also condemned the incident.



"To have it happen two days in a row and to have it happen with such ferocity on the second day, with more than triple the number of swastikas on the second day? Really, really awful," said ADL Director of New York and New Jersey, Scott Richman.

Richman said Gravesend Park is one of the most densely packed neighborhoods of Holocaust survivors in New York City, making this act, he says, "particularly offensive."

"This country went to war against the Nazis," Richmond said. "400,000 Americans lost their lives fighting against the Nazis. This isn't just a symbol that should be offensive to the Jewish community. This is something that every New Yorker should be angry about."



The Anti-Defamation League tracks antisemitic incidents and asks people to report them on their website and to law enforcement.


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