A poster featuring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was vandalized Tuesday with anti-Semitic graffiti and the New York Police Department is investigating it as a hate crime, The Hill reports.
Someone scrawled a swastika and the words “Die Jew B—h” in black marker across her face Tuesday on an advertisement for a new book about the Supreme Court Justice, located at city subway, The New York Post reports.
The book, “The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg: American icon,” by Antonia Felix was published in October to mark Ginsburg’s 25th year as a Supreme Court Justice.
NYPD Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea responded on Twitter, calling the incident “abhorrent,” and is conducting a “full investigation” into the incident. He thanked Twitter users for alerting police.
“As always, NYC has no place for hate,” he tweeted.
Thank you @BPEricAdams and @Chevi_F for bringing this abhorrent incident to our attention. Detectives from @NYPDHateCrimes are working with @NYPDTransit and will be conducting a full investigation. As always, NYC has no place for hate. @NYPDnews @NYPDDCPI
— Chief Dermot F. Shea (@NYPDDetectives) March 13, 2019
HATE: #NYPD investigating image of Justice Ruth bader Ginsburg defaced with Swastika at the Nassau Ave Subway Station on the G line in #Brooklyn. pic.twitter.com/XqurW04Z3H
— NYC Scanner (@NYScanner) March 13, 2019
The NYPD’s Hate Crimes Task Force is also investigating the vandalism and noted this in a tweet.
Hate Crime Task Force is currently on scene investigating ANTI-SEMITIC vandalism at the Nassau Ave station on the G line. Thank you to all community members for alerting the NYPD.
— NYPD Hate Crimes (@NYPDHateCrimes) March 13, 2019
Crews from the Metropolitan Transit Authority removed the anti-Semitic graffiti Tuesday afternoon, the agency said.
Following up with an update: that offensive imagery was reported yesterday, and our crews removed it immediately after NYPD had collected evidence for its investigation. Again, we regret that our customers were exposed to this hate speech, and thank you for notifying us. ^JLP pic.twitter.com/KlZkERBD6k
— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) March 13, 2019
“We have zero tolerance for hate and violence and this is a horrendous example that has no place anywhere,” an MTA spokesman told The Post.
The agency is working with police in hopes of finding the culprit.
New York governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement Wednesday, denouncing the graffiti, NBC New York reports.
“We will not stand by and allow hateful and discriminatory vandalism in New York,” he said. “I have directed the New York State Police Hate Crimes Task Force to provide the NYPD with any resources needed to assist in the investigation.”
Ginsburg is now affectionately called “The Notorious RBG,” having been given the nickname by New York University student Shana Knizhnik, who coined the term on a Tumblr page, to celebrate the Justice’s dissent in the landmark Shelby County v Holder case (which swept away crucial provisions in the Civil Rights Act of 1965.)
So just how awesome is The Notorious RBG? Well according to one Amazon review of Felix’s book, this awesome:
“Not only does Ruth Bader Ginsburg possess one of the greatest legal minds of our time, she has become an admired pop culture icon. In 2018, Ginsburg celebrates her 25th anniversary as a justice of the Supreme Court. With 130 photographs, inspiring quotes, highlights from notable speeches and judicial opinions, and insightful commentary — plus a forward by Mimi Leder — this gorgeously illustrated book pays tribute to RBG, whose work on behalf of gender equality, and whose unprecedented law career itself, indelibly changed American society.”
And long after this ugly graffiti is long-forgotten, everything this amazing woman has accomplished will still be with us. She’ll still be our beloved Notorious RBG.
In this video with CNN’s Poppy Harlow, Ginsburg discusses her 25 years as a Supreme Court Justice.
Featured image by CNN via YouTube video
