Hackney’s mayor has hit out at “abhorrent” vandalism in a local park after swastikas were painted in a children’s playground over the weekend.
The Metropolitan Police are investigating a hate crime incident after Nazi-era symbols were daubed on rocks in Stoke Newington’s Clissold Park on Sunday 20 April – the last day of Passover.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), the Met said enquiries were ongoing.
Mayor Caroline Woodley told residents that officers were out on Sunday night and on Monday morning to remove the “abhorrent” graffiti.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she said: “Everyone should feel safe to #play in #Hackney”.
Clissold is flanked by two Jewish institutions — Kehillah North London community centre from its south eastern corner, and Adath Yisroel synagogue to its north-east.
Ward councillor Fliss Premru called the incident a “disgusting act which we will not tolerate in our community”.
She told the LDRS it had been “swiftly reported by Clissold Park users and quickly dealt with by council and park team”.
“The police were alerted as soon as possible.”
Her fellow Clissold councillors were also contacted for comment.
Cllr Susan Fajana Thomas, the borough’s community safety and regulatory services lead, said: “Hackney Council strongly condemns the hateful graffiti that appeared in a local play area this week.
“This behaviour is completely unacceptable and has no place in our borough,” she said.
“We are committed to ensuring that everyone in Hackney feels safe in our public spaces, especially places designed for children and families. We’re also working closely with partners, including the police, to investigate this matter and take any further necessary action.
“We encourage residents to report any hate crime or hateful vandalism by contacting the police on 101 or report via https://hackney.gov.uk/crime-and-safety.”
Since March 2023 there have been 443 recorded antisemitic hate crime incidents in the borough, according to Met police data.
