New York police searching for 2 suspects for drawing antisemitic symbols on building

New York City police released surveillance footage of two people suspected of drawing antisemitic symbols on a Manhattan building late last month.

Shortly after 6 p.m. on February 27, the two suspects allegedly approached a building in the Civic Center in Lower Manhattan and drew three antisemitic symbols on the window of a building with red paint before fleeing, police said. 

Police described one suspect as a light complexion man last seen wearing a light-colored hooded sweatshirt, dark-colored pants and a jacket. The second suspect was described as a light complexion man wearing glasses, last seen wearing dark-colored clothing, police said. 

The incident comes as the Anti-Defamation League reported that antisemitic incidents rose 36% nationwide in 2022.

The non-profit organization tallied 3,697 instances of assault, harassment or vandalism last year, marking the highest number on record since the group began its annual audit in 1979. 

The most recent report, released last week, found that antisemitic incidents spanned all 50 states and Washington, D.C., increasing from 2021 in each of the major categories the ADL tracks. Antisemitic harassment increased by 29% to 2,298 incidents, antisemitic vandalism increased by 51% to 1,288 incidents, and antisemitic assaults increased by 26% to 111 incidents. 

Notably, visibly Orthodox Jews were targeted in more than half of all assault incidents nationwide.