[UPDATED]: Two instances of white supremacist graffiti were located on the University of Wisconsin campus, one on the University Bookstore and another near Engineering Mall.
Greg Steinberger, executive director of UW Hillel, a Jewish organization on campus, said one of the instances of graffiti was found on the west wall of the University Bookstore in the construction site. Steinberger said the graffiti happened sometime in the last week.
The other instance was found near Engineering.
https://twitter.com/chhoffma/status/723541288084185088
A symbol found in both instances of graffiti, called the Wolfsangel, was an initial symbol for the Nazi party, according to the Anti-Defamation League. It is also a symbol used for neo-Nazis in Europe and the U.S.
Emily Hamer / Badger Herald
The same symbol was found on Langdon Street in UW’s Greek community.
[UPDATED]: Anti-Semitic, white supremacist graffiti found in UW’s Greek life community
Steinberger said the threatening graffiti contributes to an unacceptable campus climate.
“This is … an unfortunate and terrible incident, but it’s one of all sorts of other thing we’re seeing in our community,” Steinberger said. “There’s a lot of graffiti happening on campus, there’s a lot of anger happening on campus, there’s a lot of bad behavior in social media. … Maybe it’s endemic to society underneath, but it’s coming out in unfiltered ways and in unacceptable ways.”
UW spokesperson John Lucas said he is working jointly with the city to investigate these instances of graffiti, both on and off campus.
In terms of the two instances of graffiti near Engineering and at the University Bookstore, Lucas said, “We’re [UW] going to continue to seek to have these both documented and then removed.”
UW Police Department has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the graffiti found on the University Bookstore was the first instance of graffiti. Additionally, this article originally stated that the University Bookstore fell under UWPD’s jurisdiction, based on misinformation from an MPD official. The Badger Herald regrets this error.
