Anti-Police Graffiti Defaces Washington Rock State Park

GREEN BROOK, NJ — Graffiti with anti-police and pro-black lives matter sentiments were recently spray painted at Washington Rock State Park amid the nationwide protests over racial injustice.

Last Tuesday at 8 a.m., a Park Ranger reported to Green Brook Police criminal mischief to the Park monument, stone walls, and surrounding rock grounds.

It appears the graffiti was spray painted sometime overnight and included sentiments such as "Defund The Police", "Justice For George Floyd" and several other sayings some using expletives towards the police.

The park ranger told police the park would be closed to remove the graffiti. However, the Somerset County Parks Commission announced the park closed on Friday through the holiday weekend to protect the public and enforce social distancing amid the coronavirus.

"Due to the absence of community fireworks celebrating Independence Day and Governor Murphy's Executive Orders limiting crowd size and recommending social distancing to protect the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, the determination was made to close the park for the weekend," the commission stated on Thursday.

Protests, marches and vigils across the nation for racial justice came following the death of George Floyd, 46, in Minneapolis after then-Police Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Video, which captured Floyd saying "I can't breathe," went viral, and sparked the nationwide protests. Read More: All 4 Minneapolis Officers Charged As Protests Continue

The term "Defund the Police" has also been repeated by activists across the country during protests. The call is not necessarily about completely gutting police force budgets, although some activists and lawmakers have also raised the possibility of disbanding police departments altogether, complicating an already complex message. Read More: 'Defund The Police': 5 Things To Know About What It Means

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