Photo: Marie Hickman / The Image Bank Unreleased / Getty Images
The New York State GOP headquarters in Albany has been vandalized for the second time in two weeks. Offensive graffiti, including Nazi imagery, was discovered on the building located on State Street, just two blocks from the State Capitol. The Albany Police Department responded to the incident on Monday (April 28), but no arrests have been made yet, and the investigation is ongoing.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik condemned the act, describing it as an escalation of political hatred aimed at intimidating Republicans. She stated, "The vile and hateful defacement of the New York Republican Party Headquarters with Nazi imagery for the second time in just two weeks is a disgusting criminal act and a direct threat to our democratic institutions" according to WCAX.
The vandalism included swastikas taped to the front of the building, and a chalk message on the sidewalk read, "Return Kilmar Now!" This message refers to Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland man mistakenly deported to El Salvador under the Trump administration. The New York Republican Party has called for the perpetrator to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Governor Kathy Hochul condemned the act on Twitter, stating, "No one should ever resort to violence or vandalism to make a political point" as reported by NEWS10 ABC. Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt also criticized the act, calling it "hateful" and "historically illiterate." The New York GOP has urged state leaders to speak out against the rising danger of political violence.