Adam Yauch Park Defaced With Anti-Semitic, Pro-Trump Graffiti

The latest shocking hate crime to be committed in President-elect Donald Trump’s name has taken place at a surprising location: a children’s playground. On Friday, the equipment at Brooklyn Heights’ Adam Yauch Park, which was renamed three years ago in honor of the late Beastie Boy, was defaced with graffiti of two swastikas and the words “Go Trump.”

It should be noted that Yauch (also known as MCA) was Jewish, as are surviving Beasties Michael Diamond (Mike D) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock).

Yauch, who died of parotid cancer in 2012 at age 47, was also an advocate for peace. He was a practicing Buddhist and founder of the Milarepa Fund, a nonprofit organization behind several all-star Tibetan Freedom Concerts to benefit the cause of Tibetan independence. And when he accepted the Beastie Boys’ Video Vanguard Award at the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, he spoke out about America’s wars against Muslim countries and prejudice against Middle Easterners.

“It’s very important that the United States start to look toward non-violent means for resolving conflicts,” Yauch said during his VMAs speech, adding, “Another thing America needs to think about is our racism – racism that comes from the United States towards Muslim people and towards Arabic people. And that’s something that has to stop.”

According to tweets by Brooklyn City Councilman Brad Lander, the NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force and the Parks Department responded to the park situation quickly, and the offensive graffiti will be painted over Friday evening.

The timing of this incident is especially upsetting, because this week marks the 30th anniversary of the Beastie Boys’ landmark debut album, Licensed to Ill.