An article published on April 26 questioned whether swastikas were present in the original graffiti photos, which were partially obstructed. Upon review of unobstructed images provided by Anniejump Vicente, it is now clear that swastikas did appear at multiple locations across West Hollywood.
Over the past week, Nazi swastikas have been spray-painted across our city — on sidewalks, business windows, street signs, and walls. These repulsive markings are intended to terrorize vulnerable members of our community, and they have appeared just in time for a toxic media spectacle planned this Sunday, April 27, right here in West Hollywood.
This spectacle is being staged by a ragtag crew of far-right agitators, including former Florida Congressmember Matt Gaetz. A failed candidate for attorney general, Gaetz is now better known for his far-right talk show, his frequent targeting of women and LGBTQ+ people with dehumanizing, fascist rhetoric, and a history of spreading antisemitic and white supremacist tropes like the so-called Great Replacement Theory.
The event planned for Sunday is, essentially, a hate rally. It threatens our community, especially its most vulnerable members. We cannot sit passively while this kind of bigotry attempts to pass as “culture” — and we absolutely cannot pretend that an event designed to incite hate crimes is compatible with West Hollywood’s vision of a sanctuary city for LGBTQ+ people and other minorities…