Long Beach police are investigating as a hate crime the vandalism of a statue of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., which was defaced by spray-painted graffiti, a police representative said Monday. Allison Gallagher, a spokeswoman for the Long Beach Police Department, said the graffiti was not being described because of the ongoing investigation, but a photo on social media showed a black swastika spray-painted on the front of the statue. One participant held a sign reading, “No Room For Hate in Long Beach.”AdvertisementLong Beach Mayor Robert Garcia on Monday tweeted his dismay over the “horrific graffiti” and said police were working to apprehend those responsible. “Our MLK statue is a symbol of hope and justice for the community,” he tweeted.

Source: Los Angeles Times July 06, 2021 03:11 UTC