JTA – A Confederate flag was discovered hanging at the Museum of Jewish Heritage – Living Shoah Memorial in New York City on Friday morning.
The incident came less than 48 hours after the same flag was introduced into the United States Capitol by one of the pro-Trump supporters who stormed this institution at the heart of American democracy on Wednesday.
The museum, located in Manhattan, warned New York police of the flag’s presence, museum president and CEO Jack Kliger said on Friday. He added that the flag showed that “hatred has now come to our door”.
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“This is an atrocious attack on our community and on our institution and the system which is responsible for enforcing the law in our country will have to respond quickly, firmly and strongly,” he said.
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“The Confederate flag is a potent symbol of white supremacy, as the events of this week on Capitol Hill have confirmed,” he continued.
Supporters of US President Donald Trump during a protest in the Capitol Rotunda on January 6, 2021 (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images via JTA)
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New York Police have not confirmed whether they consider this incident to fall under the category of racist crimes. However, she told the JTA that an investigation had been opened qualifying the act as “odious”.
Supporters of US President Donald Trump during a protest in the Capitol Rotunda on January 6, 2021 (Saul Loeb / AFP via Getty Images via JTA)
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The Museum of Jewish Heritage had played a central role in New York State’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism last year. Governor Andrew Cuomo then proposed that students in New York City public schools be required to visit a museum dedicated to the Shoah.
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