A dozen and a half antisemitic stickers were used to deface the Coolidge Corner neighborhood of Brookline, Massachusetts, over the weekend, leaving people on edge as police investigate the matter.
"I think it is horrible," one woman said. "I can't believe that it would happen anywhere, but in a place that is so non-violent and generous to everybody."
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The stickers, which showed swastikas over the Israeli flag, were placed on light poles and street signs, according to Brookline police. Others targeted Jewish businesses on Harvard Street, including a bakery.
A nearby synagogue and a K-8 school with a large number of Jewish students were targeted, too.
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In all, investigators discovered 16 stickers -- which also included text that read "Stop funding Israeli terrorism" -- on public property and two on private property. They have all since been removed.
Chair of the Brookline Select Board Bernard Greene said in a statement posted on the town website that the stickers were posted in an area with a significant Jewish and Israeli population and that he was dismayed to see their community "targeted by hate."
"Brookline has no toleration for and is united against hate. We are a community dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion and will join together to show we are strong and will support those who are targeted by these hateful symbols," the statement read. "We understand that hate is indivisible and those that spew hate against our Jewish residents and businesses will turn their hatred against other members of our community if given the opportunity."
Massachusetts State Representative Tommy Vitolo says the Jewish community is scared.
"The sticker mimicked the Flag of Israel, replacing the shield of David with a swastika, so to be clear, on its face, that is antisemitic, no questions asked," he said.
Patrols have been stepped up in Coolidge Corner.
Brookline police say while there are free speech considerations sometimes, there are not in this case.
"This would even potentially fit the criteria of being a hate crime so this is serious," Brookline Police Lt. David Hill said. "The defacement of property could be classified as a felony, could be classified as a hate crime, it is a serious offense and we are investigating it."
Similar stickers were placed in Harvard Square last week. Cambridge police say surveillance video and other evidence is currently being processed there as part of their investigation into the stickers found in that area.
Police in Brookline and Cambridge say they continue to investigate, and one of the things they are trying to determine is if these two crimes are connected.
This all comes at a time of heightened tensions due to the war in Gaza and increasing conflict in the region. The ADL reports that there has been a significant uptick in reports of antisemitism across the country, including a 32% increase in Massachusetts in 2023 compared to the year before.
