Neighbors outraged after racist graffiti found on Salem seawall

SALEM, Mass. — Messages of hate etched across a North Shore seawall have been igniting outrage among neighbors and city leaders.

Police say multiple vandals are suspected in the racist-laced graffiti stretching hundreds of feet at the seawall in Collins Cove in Salem.

The community, visibly disturbed by the vandalism, has already started to rally together to right this wrong.

"It's upsetting, it's disgusting," said one resident.

The graffiti is hard to miss and difficult to ignore. Messages and images of hate, including swastikas and depictions of Adolf Hitler stretch for at least 300 feet along a visible portion of the seawall.

“It’s just someone trying to get attention," said Chad Gagnon, of Salem.

“It’s really shocking, I’ve lived here a long time and I’ve never seen anything like that," said Shayne Lombardi, of Salem. “You don’t see Nazis walking around here."

Despite the egregious depictions of hateful propaganda being scribbled all over the seawall, just hours after the vandalism was reported to police, community activists and neighbors joined forces in condemning the anti-Semitic graffiti and painting over most of it.

“I think we should use this as an opportunity come together," said Lombardi.

The mayor of Salem, along with other city leaders, is asking for any witnesses to come forward and stand up against the hate.

"It’s not just the city that pays the price, society pays the price," said Lombardi.

Public works crews are scheduled to begin removing paint from the granite wall early Wednesday morning.

Several people in the community are reaching out for volunteers to come out to continue the process of cleaning up the mess later in the day, beginning at 5 p.m.

Cox Media Group