WASHINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — Racial slurs, white supremacist messages, anti-semitic language, and more were spraypainted at a Washington Park over the weekend.
Park District crews spent the morning of Monday, March 29, cleaning up the graffiti covered Meadow Valley Park.
“It happened sometime Saturday night late or Sunday morning,” said park district executive director Brian Tibbs.
On Sunday, pink spray paint covered signs, concrete and other areas across the park.
“It’s very hard to read some of the things that were written. It disgusts me and not at all what we stand for,” said Tibbs.
Some of the messages featured racial slurs, Nazi symbols and salutes, and messages associated with white supremacy.
Most of vandalism is too graphic to show.
“The words, they have no business being used or spray painted or anything,” said Tibbs.
By Monday afternoon, most of the markings were gone.
“It’s just a shame because now I had to devote three or four staff to go there and clean that up and we have plenty of other things we should be doing right now getting our facilities open for the year,” said Tibbs.
But, Tibbs said it was a priority.
Neighbor Emily Schwartz said she was glad it was quickly cleaned.
“That’s terrible. I can’t like… I’m glad we didn’t get to see it,” said Schwartz.
She said the park is a public place that people, children and families come to enjoy and not see harmful graffiti.
“I wouldn’t want to bring my nieces or anything and have them see anything terrible,” said Schwartz.
Washington Police Chief Mike McCoy confirmed to WMBD that the incident is being investigated for vandalism.
