Two turtles with Swastikas painted on their shells at Gene Coulon Memorial Park Beach, Renton, Washington. Image: Facebook.com/RentonPDWA
In what residents saw as an anti-Semitic statement, turtles with swastikas painted on their shells were spotted at Gene Coulon Memorial Beach Park in Renton, Washington, United States.
The turtles were spotted by a Renton local named Anne-Marie Desiderio while she was walking with friends at the waterfront park, as per The Seattle Times on Thursday, Nov. 7.
“I was absolutely horrified and my eyes actually got teary,” Desiderio was quoted as saying.
Renton Police Department took to Facebook on Nov. 6 to address the issue, assuring residents they are going to find the turtles and clean them up.
“We made an attempt to locate them (turtles) but so far they have evaded apprehension,” the statement read. “Our Animal Control Officers will check their typical sunning spots from time to time in the hope of capturing them for a quick cleanup and health check. Thank you for everybody’s concern.”
Residents said they have been seeing the turtles over the past month, and have already reported incidents to authorities, as per the report.
The swastika, in its clockwise form, was infamously used by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis as their symbol during World War II. It is now being used by some hate groups to promote anti-Semitism and Neo-Nazism.
The swastikas painted on the turtles however are of the counterclockwise form, which is why some residents suggest it may have a different meaning than that of the usage of Hitler’s regime.
The swastika originally had a positive connotation and was used for different purposes by different religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. The term “swastika” was derived from the Sanskrit word svastika, which means “conducive to well-being.”
Both the perpetrators and their intention of why they painted the symbol on the animals are still unknown, as of writing.
“While it’s hard to know the intention or what the perpetrator had in mind, it seems pretty clear to us what the symbol means,” regional director for the Anti-Defamation League Miri Cypers was quoted as saying. “I think it’s a really sad and unfortunate act. Unfortunately, anti-Semitic vandalism is becoming all too common in this climate.” Ian Biong/JB
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