Within the midst of tense demonstrations at USC over the battle in Gaza, officers discovered a swastika drawn on a campus fence.
“Clearly it was drawn there simply to incite much more anger at a time that’s so painful for our neighborhood,” USC President Carol Folt wrote in a press release on Instagram. “I condemn any antisemitic symbols or any type of hate speech in opposition to anybody.”
Folt stated the swastika was eliminated hours after it was reported to campus officers Tuesday afternoon — the identical day that she once more met with scholar organizers who’ve demanded that the college divest from any monetary ties to Israel.
The swastika was discovered about 3 p.m. Tuesday on a brick column that’s a part of the fence that borders USC’s campus on Vermont Avenue, in response to David Carlisle, the assistant chief of public security for the college. He stated the image gave the impression to be drawn in black everlasting marker.
He stated UCS’s public security group documented the incident as vandalism earlier than handing the case to LAPD. He stated no arrests have been made within the ongoing investigation, however he famous that there was no video proof from the placement.
USC’s Hillel, a middle for college Jewish life, stated it was disturbed to find out about this image of antisemitism on campus.
“To see this unambiguous image of Jew hatred on our campus is deeply distressing,” the Hillel wrote in a press release. “There is no such thing as a place for such hostility and hate at USC.”
Entry to USC’s campus stays restricted to college students, college, employees and registered friends after greater than every week of protests on the college — and campuses throughout the nation — over the Israel-Hamas battle.
Demonstrations in current days have remained peaceable at USC, following an initially tense day when LAPD swarmed campus demonstrators and arrested nearly 100 folks.
“We’re nonetheless monitoring the demonstration on campus and patrolling the perimeter of our campus to verify our entry restrictions are enforced,” Carlisle stated.
