Antisemitic graffiti on the back door of a laundromat at the intersection of 65th Street and Woodside Avenue. Photo: Queens Post
Jan. 7, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
Antisemitic graffiti has repeatedly appeared along Woodside Avenue, sparking outrage from residents and a commitment from Council Member Julie Won to ensure its swift removal.
The graffiti, which appeared on lampposts and the back door of a laundromat located at the intersection of 65th Street and Woodside Avenue, featured a number of antisemitic slogans and symbols, including several Nazi Swastikas and an X drawn through the Star of David.
Photo Queens Post
It also featured language such as “Jews did 9/11”, “Stop supporting Jews” and the Nazi victory salute “Sieg Heil”.
The perpetrators also scrawled “1488” in several locations in the area, referring to two white supremacist numeric symbols, with 14 acting as a shorthand for the “14 Words” slogan, “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children,” and 88 acting as a shorthand for “Heil Hitler.”
Photo Queens Post
In a statement, Won said she has put in a work order with ACE Programs NY to ensure that the graffiti is removed by Monday, Jan. 6.
“Antisemitism and all hate crimes against our neighbors have no place in our city. My office submitted a work order to remove antisemitic graffiti drawn on a light pole and door of a local business in Woodside. We will follow up with our partners at ACE Programs to make sure it gets removed,” Won said in a statement.
“Any graffiti promoting religious discrimination or harassment should be reported to our office, and we will work with our partners to remove it. You can reach us at (718) 383-9566 or district26@council.nyc.gov.”
A Woodside resident who wished to remain anonymous said they first encountered the antisemitic graffiti in November and that it had regularly appeared along lampposts on Woodside Avenue between 61st Street and 65th Street.
The resident said they have attempted to remove some of the slogans over the past two months, only to find that it has returned in even more locations than before.
They said they have reported the graffiti to 311 and Gov. Kathy Hochul’s new Hotline and Online Form to Report Hate and Bias Incidents on several occasions since first spotting the incident in November but have received no correspondence from either organization. A 311 operator told the Queens Post Monday that the Woodside resident should have received a response from 311 within two weeks.
The NYPD said there were no complaints on file regarding antisemitic graffiti at the intersection of Woodside Avenue and 65th Street over the past two months.
The residents said they feared retribution from the perpetrators and added that they hoped that highlighting the issue would either force the perpetrators to stop or lead to them being apprehended.
Won’s office said they first learned of the antisemitic graffiti on Jan. 6 and acted swiftly to ensure its removal.
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