About 150 members of the Jewish community in Queens, N.Y., held a rally on Sunday, dubbed “This Shall Not Stand,” after swastikas were recently spray-painted on synagogues, homes and other locations in Forest Hills and Rego Park.
The demonstration, organized by Jewish organizations at a nearby park, came days after residents discovered Nazi graffiti at five sites, including the Rego Park Jewish Center and the home of a Holocaust survivor.
Police said they are searching for four suspects seen on surveillance footage.
Speakers included New York State Assemblyman David Weprin; former New York State Representative Dov Hikind; Jayne Zirkle, director of communications and outreach for the Lawfare Project; and pro-Israel influencer Zach Sage Fox.
“Since Oct. 7, hate crimes have increased manyfold, and more than 50% of all hate crimes are antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes,” Weprin said at the May 10 rally. “For the first time in my life, many Jewish New Yorkers and I don’t feel safe in this city and state.”
Nassau County executive Bruce Blakeman, also a New York gubernatorial candidate, stated that Jew-hatred must be confronted directly. “Antisemitism is on the rise, and we have to make sure that every antisemite knows that we will not back down, that we will stand up to it,” he said.
