Crime & Safety
Anti-Hamas Billboard Over Worcester Highway Vandalized
A billboard on I-290 from an organization opposing antisemitism was vandalized recently.
WORCESTER, MA — A billboard on I-290 west with an anti-Hamas message has been vandalized.
The billboard originally read: "Let's be clear: Hamas is your problem too."
The sign was vandalized and now reads: "Let's be clear Hamas is Freeing Palestine" and "Israel Murdered 25,000 People."
The sign was part of a JewBelong campaign, a group that is "fighting back against growing antisemitism" with billboards that have appeared in many American cities.
The Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts wrote on its Facebook page that the organization is in communication with Worcester police, the Anti-Defamation League, and city officials.
Steven Schimmel, executive director of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts, released the following statement in response to the vandalism:
"The defacement of this billboard is deplorable. Suggesting that Hamas is anything other than an evil, violent terror organization is unacceptable, and this vandalism must be handled with swift-action and strong condemnation. Hamas perpetrated a barbaric terror attack murdering 1,200 people, committing numerous rapes and kidnappings on an unprecedented scale. They use human shields and civilian sites in Gaza for terror attacks, and have fired thousands of rockets both before and since Oct. 7th. The pro-Hamas graffiti on this billboard is a grotesque distortion of reality. Jewish Federation officials are in communication with Worcester Police, ADL, and city officials."
