Swastika graffitied on Hampstead Heath near popular gay area
A sign on Hampstead Heath has been defaced with a Swastika, near a popular gay hotspot.
The graffiti was discovered this morning near the Hampstead Heath Men’s Pond – opposite the Swain’s Lane roundabout on Highgate Road.
Florence Spencer, 62 – who discovered the graffiti – told Ham & High: “I was horrified, just horrified. It is disgusting. I am offended for the sake of humanity. It is a very scary time.
“I do not know why they have targeted the Heath which is a peaceful, innocent place open to everyone. This is so offensive to us all.
“Years ago we would never have seen this, but it appears that society is breaking down.”
A spokesman for the body that manages the Heath, the City of London Corporation, said: “We would like to thank the member of the public for reporting this.
“Graffiti is not acceptable on Hampstead Heath and we will not tolerate racism of any kind. We have reported this to the police and we are removing the graffiti today.”
UCL Union said at the time: “The swastika as a symbol is indelibly tainted by its use by the Nazi regime during the Holocaust, an atrocity resulting in the murder of many millions of people, among them tens of thousands of LGBT+ people.
“We refuse to be intimidated. We will be continuing to promote LGBT+ History Month widely across campus and celebrating the presence of LGBTQ+ students, staff and visitors at UCL.”
