Photo courtesy of KTLA.
A Martin Luther King Jr. statue was vandalized with a swastika last weekend in Long Beach, California, according to KTLA 5. The MLK statue located in the Martin Luther King Jr. Park on Lemon Ave. was also graffitied with SS Bolts.
The Long Beach Police Department officers were alerted about the crime and arrived around 3:20 p.m. on July 2. Officials found that the criminals had spray-painted a swastika and SS Bolts on the chest and the leg of Dr. King’s statue.
Both symbols are associated with Nazi’s and white supremacy. LBPD officials told reporters that the vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime.Mayor Robert Garcia denounced the act on social media and confirmed that the LBPD is investigating the vandalism of the statue as a hate crime. The mayor claimed that the city is committed to finding those responsible.
“Over the holiday weekend our MLK statue at King Park was vandalized with horrific graffiti,” he wrote. “The LBPD are investigating this as a hate crime and we are working to catch whoever committed this awful act. Our MLK statue is a symbol of hope and justice for the community. This hate and desecration has no place in our city.”
Surveillance cameras will be installed near the statue to deter future instances of vandalism. However, the police have no suspects for the current crime.
The statue made its debut in the 19th Street Park in 1968 after Dr. King was assassinated, and the name of the park was changed to Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The MLK statue was cleaned on July 3.