NYPD

NYPD Hate Crimes Unit Investigating Vile Defacing of Ruth Bader Ginsburg Poster in Brooklyn

What to Know

  • A subway poster advertising a commemorative book on Ruth Bader Ginsburg was defaced with anti-Semitic and other slurs
  • The rider said it was spotted at the Nassau Avenue G train stop in Brooklyn; the MTA says it was removed immediately
  • The NYPD says its transit and hate crimes bureaus are investigating, adding, "There is no room for hate in NYC"

The NYPD's hate crimes unit is investigating slur-ridden "DIE" graffiti scrawled on a Brooklyn subway station poster of Ruth Bader Ginsburg after a rider flagged it on Twitter Tuesday. 

"What is going to be done about this?" the rider captioned in her tweet, tagging the mayor's office, the MTA and NYPD among other accounts. She said it was spotted at the Nassau Avenue G train stop. 

She also shared a photo — one that is too hateful to republish. It's a poster ad for the pictorial book, "The Unstoppable Ruth Bader Ginsburg: American Icon," by Antonia Felix that came out to mark the justice's 25th year on the Supreme Court. 

"DIE" in all capital letters is scrawled in black marker across Ginsburg's forehead on the poster; "JEW" was written over her glasses, followed by another slur and a swastika over her mouth. 

The NYPD tweeted its transit and hate crimes units were both investigating the matter, adding, "There is no room for hate in NYC." 

For its part, the MTA says it removed the "offensive imagery" immediately after the NYPD collected evidence for its investigation. 

"We regret that our customers were exposed to this hate speech," it said. 

The book was released in October. According to its review on Amazon: "With 130 photographs, inspiring quotes, highlights from notable speeches and judicial opinions, and insightful commentary—plus a foreword by Mimi Leder—this gorgeously illustrated book pays tribute to RBG, whose work on behalf of gender equality, and whose unprecedented career itself, indelibly changed American society."

In a statement on Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo denounced the graffiti. 

"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."

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