NYPD probes anti-Israel graffiti at UES bank for possible link to Brooklyn subway vandalism
Targeted anti-Israel, pro-Palestine vandalism in NYC
At least one case of this vandalism is being investigated as a hate crime. FOX 5 NY's Linda Schmidt has the latest.
NEW YORK - The NYPD is investigating whether anti-Israel graffiti found at a Capital One bank in Manhattan is possibly linked to video of vandals destroying OMNY readers at a Brooklyn subway station.
Capital One bank vandalized
What we know:
The NYPD has launched a hate crime investigation after anti-Israel vandalism was discovered Monday morning at a Capital One branch on the Upper East Side.
Police said they were called around 7:30 a.m. to the bank at 86th Street and Second Avenue, where the windows were shattered, and the front doors were covered in red spray paint.
The graffiti named both a pro-Palestinian group and an Israeli weapons manufacturer, an apparent reference to alleged financial ties between Capital One and the manufacturer.
The front of the bank has since been boarded up.
What they're saying:
City Council Speaker Julie Menin shared a picture of the damage and called for an immediate investigation into whether it was an antisemitic hate crime.
"We've talked to the NYPD about the bank branch incident. This kind of vandalism is simply unacceptable. They are actively investigating it. We look forward to the results of their investigation, and now this new information about what's happening with the OMNY system," Menin said Tuesday on "Good Day New York."
OMNY readers destroyed
Dig deeper:
Video recorded last week shows vandals using drills to destroy OMNY tap-and-go readers at the Church Avenue subway station in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
Fliers left at the scene protested rising fare costs, accused the OMNY system of mass surveillance, and criticized its parent company's alleged ties to the Israeli military.
The MTA has since replaced the damaged readers.
What we don't know:
The NYPD has not yet determined if the two incidents are connected or involve the same suspects.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Source: This story was written with information from the NYPD's Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI), and NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin's interview on "Good Day New York."