A 16-year-old teenager was arrested and charged with defacing the 107th United States Infantry monument in New York City earlier this week by spray-painting “Gaza” in red across the base of the structure. The New York Police Department’s Deputy Commissioner of Operations shared images of the vandal in handcuffs, emphasizing that the act of vandalism will not go unpunished. The teen has been charged with two counts of criminal mischief in the third degree, which are felonies, and two counts of making graffiti, a class A misdemeanor. Despite the initial report that the teen’s father turned him in, police later denied this and credited the arrest to good police work and assistance from a school safety agent.
The suspect is a regular attendee at rallies organized by the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime and a student at Tottenville High School. He has no prior arrests on record. The incident occurred during anti-Israel protests near Hunter College and the Met Gala, with demonstrators also burning the American flag at the memorial site and placing pro-Palestinian stickers. Another statue honoring Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman near Central Park was also targeted by protesters, with officers eventually removing a Palestinian flag that had been placed on it. The NYPD noted that the 107th United States Infantry monument differs from most others, as it honors troops referred to as “Doughboys” under Army Gen. John Pershing’s American Expeditionary Forces.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Daughtry condemned the vandalism as a despicable act of desecration that undermines the freedoms heroes fought and died for. He urged anyone with information about the incident to contact the police. The World War I memorial depicts seven U.S. Army soldiers in battle during September 1918 as they broke through the Hindenburg Line, the last and strongest defense of the German army. The teen has been charged with felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor graffiti charges. While the initial report suggested that the teenager’s father turned him in, police clarified that the arrest was due to police work and the assistance of a school safety agent.
Video footage of the incident showed anti-Israel supporters placing a flag on the statue and advocating for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The NYPD officers intervened as protesters defaced the monument with spray paint. The incident occurred during a time of heightened tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with protests taking place in various locations in New York City. The 16-year-old suspect has no prior arrests and is a member of the anti-Israel group Within Our Lifetime. Despite initial reports that his father turned him in, police denied this and credited the arrest to effective police work and a school safety agent.
The incident at the World War I memorial in New York City was part of a series of anti-Israel protests in the area, with demonstrators also targeting other statues and monuments. In addition to defacing the 107th United States Infantry monument, protesters placed a Palestinian flag on a statue honoring Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman near Central Park. NYPD officers intervened to remove the flag and prevent further vandalism. The teenage suspect has been charged with felony criminal mischief and misdemeanor graffiti charges, emphasizing that such acts of vandalism will not go unpunished. Police urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward to assist in the investigation.
