(JTA) — A Confederate flag was found tied to the Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City on Friday morning.
The incident comes less than two days after a Confederate flag was brought into the U.S. Capitol by a member of the mob that stormed it Wednesday.
The lower Manhattan museum has notified the NYPD of the flag, Jack Kliger, the museum’s president and CEO, said in a statement Friday. He said the flag showed that “hate has now arrived at our doorstep.”
“This is an atrocious attack on our community and on our institution and must be met with the swift and forceful response by law enforcement,” he said. “The Confederate flag is a potent symbol of white supremacy, as evidenced by the events at the U.S. Capitol this week.”
The NYPD did not confirm whether the flag was being investigated as a bias crime, but told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that it was being investigated by the NYPD detective division, and called the act “atrocious.”
The Museum of Jewish Heritage played a central role in New York state’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism early last year, as Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed that every New York City public school student be required to visit a Holocaust museum.
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