The New York Public Library is facing at least $75,000 in cleanup costs following recent pro-Palestinian protests in which protesters defaced the facade of the iconic Manhattan building with blood-red handprints.
The main building of the Stephen A. Schwarzman library in Midtown was so badly damaged during the demonstrations that some of the carved marble reliefs may have to be replaced, officials said.
“On Thanksgiving, individuals involved in the protest engaged in a shameful act of vandalism against the main building of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Library, a space dedicated to the open exchange of ideas and intellectual debate,” library spokeswoman Jennifer Fermino told the Washington Post.
“This comes at a time when the city’s libraries are facing severe budget cuts that have left us unable to maintain our current level of service, and this vandalism will be costly to repair.”
Much of the damage occurred Thursday after hundreds of protesters disrupted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, wearing white jumpsuits and dousing themselves in fake blood, some sticking their hands into the street in the middle of Sixth Avenue.
Pro-Palestinian protesters vandalized the Stephen A. Schwarzman building of the New York Public Library with graffiti Thursday, covering it with red handprints and scrawling “free Palestine” in dark green spray paint. @AvivaKlompas/Twitter
After the march, some protesters headed to the library’s Fifth Avenue entrance where they defaced the marble bases of the building’s iconic columns, and scrawled the words “liberate Palestine” in dark green spray paint on the main building.
Some of the graffiti covered parts of the finely carved structure, which were difficult to clean without causing further damage, requiring multiple applications of solvent over several days, Garrett Bergen, the library’s director of facilities, told Gothamist.
Library display boards were also defaced with green and red paint, two of the colors in the Palestinian flag.Freedomnews.tv via @goLoko77/Twitter Pro-Palestinian protesters march through Manhattan during rush hour.ZUMAPRESS.com
“We may need to replace certain elements if the rosette is too damaged for the paint to be removed. So it’s a little unclear,” Bergen said.
Close-up images of the damage show thick red paint pooling at the base of column supports and dripping down the steps of the library — which is facing budget cuts from the Adams administration.
The vandalized building is named after Stephen A. Schwarzman, a wealthy Jewish businessman and philanthropist who donated $100 million for the library’s expansion in 2008.
Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the library on November 17 calling on Israel to end its military campaign that began on October 7 after a surprise rocket attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. Jeenah Moon
In all, at least 34 protesters were arrested on Thursday, charged with offenses ranging from disorderly conduct and resisting arrest to harassment, police said.
It is not known how many arrests took place outside the library, which was closed in conjunction with the holiday.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
