More Montauk Swastikas Probed as Hate Crime

By Timothy Bolger

2 minute 11/13/2023

East Hampton Town Police Department. Photo credit: Brendan J. O’Reilly

Suffolk County police are investigating as a hate crime the spray-painting of swastikas and other anti-Semitic graffiti found Saturday in Montauk for the second time in two weeks, authorities said.

East Hampton Town Police officers patrolling the downtown area discovered the hateful words and symbols scrawled on Bounce Beach Montauk, an oceanfront restaurant on South Emerson Avenue, shortly before 6:30 a.m. November 11, police said.

Suffolk County police hate crime unit detectives, the Suffolk County district attorney’s office and East Hampton Town Police detectives are investigating the incident. Authorities ask anyone in the area with security cameras to check for suspicious activity during the overnight hours of November 10 and early morning hours of November 11.

The incident comes after similar graffiti was found October 30 at food trailers, a sign and utility equipment near Ditch Plains Beach as well as outside Naturally Good Foods, a health food store downtown, and Sausages Pizza, at the rear of the buildings on Main Street in Montauk, triggering a peace rally condemning the anti-Semitism spree.

Cleaning the hateful anti-Semitic swastika Nazi graffiti in Montauk — Cleaning up after the first swastika graffiti incident in Montauk, Photo: Rabbi Josh Franklin

Both graffiti incidents come about a month after Hamas terrorists massacred and kidnapped Israeli civilians in a surprise attack that prompted the Israeli military to respond with a counter offensive aimed at Gaza.

East Hampton Town Police can be reached at 631-537-7575 or tips can be made anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.