LGBTQ Pride Month flags were vandalized this week near the Stonewall National Monument in New York City's Greenwich Village, according to the New York City Police Department. The colorful flags, emblematic of the LGBTQ community, were damaged and removed on Thursday night. Police received a report early Friday morning and their preliminary investigation suggests an unidentified person destroyed 160 flags around 8 p.m. Thursday before fleeing the scene.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams condemned the act on X, formerly known as Twitter, affirming support for the LGBTQ community and promising justice for the vandalism. Likewise, New York Attorney General Letitia James described the act as "disgusting." New York City Council member Erik Bottcher also denounced the vandalism.
The Stonewall National Monument, including Christopher Park and the historic Stonewall Inn, was designated by President Barack Obama in 2016 as the first U.S. national monument to LGBTQ rights. The site is historically significant for the 1969 Stonewall uprising, which marked a pivotal moment in the LGBTQ rights movement. Last year, the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force investigated several similar incidents during Pride Month.