Man Arrested for Throwing Rock at Confederate Flag-Draped Window in East Village: Police

A man was arrested for allegedly throwing a rock at an East Village apartment where Confederate flags have hung from the windows for years.

Darren Keen, 34, was arrested Friday for criminal mischief after a window at the apartment was broken earlier this week. 

It's completely legal to display the flags, and the NYPD says there haven't been any official complaints about the Confederate symbols at the 19th-floor apartment on East Eighth Street. But the controversial icons are drawing renewed attention amid heightened tensions following last weekend's deadly violence at a White Nationalist rally in Virginia. 

One Facebook poster said she found it ironic that a Dominican bodega is at the base of the building where the Confederate flags are hung. She says she grew up in the neighborhood. 

"I had the privilege of going to school and growing up with Spanish, blacks, Muslims, white, Chinese and all other different kinds of nationalities," Thania Acosta posted. "Stay woke people these racist are not only down south, they're in our backyards. #notonmyblock." 

Video shot from outside the building Thursday showed at least two Israeli flags and one American flag also in the windows on the 19th floor, though it wasn't clear if it was part of the same apartment or how long they had been there.

"This is a very diverse neighborhood, so it is very surprising to see something like that," said neighbor Tijana Ibrahimovich. 

Nellie Colon said, "They have the right to do whatever they want but it's still sad." 

The NYPD said earlier this week that it would station an officer outside the building to ensure the safety of residents and passersby. 

No injuries were reported.