Police investigating antisemitic stickers posted in multiple locations in Brookline

BROOKLINE, Mass. — Police are investigating after over a dozen antisemitic stickers were located in the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline.

According to police, on Saturday morning officers were called to upper Harvard Street for stickers found which showed swastikas over the Israeli flag.

The stickers were located on public property on light poles and street signs, but there were several located on the window of a private business, police said.

In total, there were 16 stickers on public property and 2 on private property and they have all been removed.

“Brookline has no toleration for and is united against hate,” said Brookline Select Board Bernard Greene. “We are a community dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion and will join together to show we are strong and will support those who are targeted by these hateful symbols. We understand that hate is indivisible and those that spew hate against our Jewish residents and businesses will turn their hatred against other members of our community if given the opportunity.”

According to Greene the stickers were posted in areas with significant numbers of Jewish and Israeli residents and businesses.

“To be in such a Jewish area and have this it’s really unimaginable but that it keeps happening is even more unimaginable,” said Joseph Messer, president of Catering by Andrew. The business is frequented by Jewish people across the Boston area for its kosher food service.

He and others were alerted by a neighborhood temple about the stickers showing a swastika replacing a Star of David with the words “Stop Funding Israeli Terrorism”.

“It’s our religion, our cultural identity,” Messer said. “It’s central to who we are as people. When you see people attack that with no basis or reasoning, it becomes very scary.”

Deputy Director of the ADL, Sara Colb, said the following about the stickers:

“The placement of stickers depicting Israeli flags marred by swastikas near a Jewish house of worship is an especially insidious act of vandalism and intimidation. The swastika itself is a universal symbol of hate and their appearance during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot is all the more troubling. We are aware of similar targeted vandalism in Cambridge last week and call on the community to stand together to condemn it.”

The town of Brookline is asking residents who see vandalism or hateful messages of any kind in the community, to please report them using BrookONline or to police at 617-730-2222.

“You always hope that this is the last incident but given the state of things in the Middle East and some of the protests and rallies we’re seeing here, you just never know,” Brookline Police Deputy Superintendent Paul Campbell said.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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