Montclair Isn’t Immune To ‘Symbols Of Hate,’ Mayor Says

MONTCLAIR, NJ — “Symbols of hate” like the swastika found last week in Edgemont Park won’t be tolerated in Montclair. But unfortunately, the town isn’t immune to a national issue, Mayor Sean Spiller says.

At this week’s town council meeting, Spiller led the night with a statement about graffiti discovered on Dec. 3 at Edgemont Park. Read More: Swastika, 'Vulgar' Graffiti Removed From Montclair Playground

The Montclair Police Department previously released the following statement about the graffiti, which included a swastika:

“A resident reported that while walking through Edgemont Park, she observed graffiti on the children’s playground. There were approximately seven different sections of the playground that were marked with vulgar images and phrases. Among the images was a swastika in black marker. The images and phrases were removed by officers on scene with the assistance of the Department of Public Works. This incident is under investigation.”

It isn’t the only recent incident involving swastikas and Montclair.

Last February, West Orange police arrested a Montclair man who was accused of drawing swastikas outside a local temple. In November 2019, an employee at Montclair High School said two swastika symbols were written in pencil on a table in the cafeteria. A month later, a teacher at an unspecified school on Chestnut Street reported finding drawings of swastikas on a desk.

Swastikas aren’t the only controversial symbols associated with hate groups that have been spotted in Montclair. In May 2020, stickers that promoted a white nationalist organization that has been labeled as a “hate group” by the Southern Poverty Law Center were found posted to light poles in Porter Park. Earlier that year, a witness found a "neo-Nazi" sticker that read "NJEHA.com Take Back Your Country" posted on the schedule board at the Mountain Avenue Train Station. The sticker promoted the same group that was seen on flyers around downtown Bloomfield.

According to Spiller – who called the latest vandalism a “symbol of hate” – the town is committed to doing all it can to make sure that everyone is safe in Montclair, especially those in the Jewish community.

Spiller said that the town has had additional police patrols near its houses of worship, a point he also mentioned after a suspect was accused of making threats to New Jersey synagogues in November – although Montclair wasn’t on the list. Read More: Montclair Stands In Solidarity With Jewish Community, Officials Say

“It will not be tolerated here,” Spiller said Tuesday. “That is absolutely for sure. That's not who we are.”

“But unfortunately, we are not immune to what we are seeing as part of these trends nationwide,” he added.

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