New York Mayor Eric Adams Reacts to Vandalism of World War I Memorial
New York City Mayor Eric Adams expressed anger and disgust on Tuesday after anti-Israel protesters vandalized a World War I memorial in Central Park on Monday. The 107th United States Infantry monument, located along Central Park on the Upper East Side, depicts seven U.S. Army soldiers in battle in September 1918.
During anti-Israel protests near Hunter College and the Met Gala, demonstrators placed pro-Palestinian stickers on the memorial, spray-painted “Free Gaza,” and burned the American flag at the site. Adams, whose uncle died while serving in Vietnam at age 19, offered $5,000 of his own money to catch the vandals, with the NYPD Crime Stoppers offering an additional $10,000 reward.
“We’re going to treat this crime with the seriousness that it deserves,” Adams stated in front of the monument. “I will not stand by while people desecrate memorials for those who fought for democracy and human rights.”
Video footage showed anti-Israel supporters placing a flag on the statue and using spray paint to advocate for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Officials noted that the memorial is unique as it honors the Doughboys, troops under Army Gen. John Pershing’s American Expeditionary Forces.
Sen. Tom Cotton, a U.S. Army infantry officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, condemned the vandalism as a violation of the Veterans’ Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act. New York City Councilor Vickie Paladino praised a friend who cleared the site of “Hamas propaganda” and planted American flags.
The NYPD is actively seeking the suspects responsible for the vandalism. In a separate incident, protesters also placed a Palestinian flag on a statue honoring Union Army Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman near Central Park, which was later removed by officers.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law while respecting the rights of freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. The investigation into the vandalism of the World War I memorial and other monuments in the area is ongoing.
