New York Mayor Eric Adams Offers $5,000 Reward for Arrest of Anti-Palestinian Activists Vandalizing World War I Statue Near Met Gala

New York’s mayor, Democrat Eric Adams, put $5,000 in his own pocket Tuesday toward a reward for the arrest of anti-Palestinian activists who vandalized a World War I statue during a protest near the Met Gala that was aimed at the media a few hours before.

This money will be added to the $10,000 added by the Crime Stoppers organization to create a reward pot for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.

“I love this city and this country,” said Mayor Adams. “It hurts to see a monument to your bravery vandalized by guards in the name of protest, one of the true freedoms for did those in this monument die and human rights, or disrespect to the hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers who have served their country.

And he said: “I want to show all New Yorkers that our city will not tolerate chaos and disorder” (…) I’m just not going to put my money where the words are I have directed my money where my heart is.”

This statue is a memorial to the First World War in New York City, specifically of the US 107th Infantry, which is next to Central Park and represents seven army soldiers in full battle against German soldiers in 1918.

In addition, according to Adams, he donated the money in honor of his 19-year-old uncle “Joe,” who died in the Vietnam War.

Pro-Palestinian activists attempted to boycott the Met Gala on Monday afternoon, trying to further their calls given the celebrity-studded event. They vandalized this statue near the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York with “Free Gaza” stickers and graffiti. They also burned the American flag in this same place.

However, the protest was dispersed by the police who were deployed to protect the ceremony.

At a news conference on Tuesday, some top New York police officers were on either side of the councilor, who agreed to tighten security around the monument and revealed that leaflets were being distributed with images of “those criminals who were part of a large violent demonstration” over the Israeli siege of Gaza.