NYPD investigates antisemitic flag flown at NYU graduation event
A flag with NYU lettering, a Star of David and two swastikas flew over a Steinhardt building as graduation crowds packed Washington Square Park.
An antisemitic flag that mimicked New York University’s own campus banners was flown above the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development in Greenwich Village during a graduation-week celebration, startling families and students gathered near Washington Square Park. The blue or purple flag carried the letters NYU, a Star of David and two swastikas, a combination that appeared designed to cloak a Nazi symbol in the university’s branding while targeting Jewish identity at one of the campus’s most visible moments.
The flag was seen shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday during NYU’s annual Grad Alley event and was removed about 15 minutes later by NYU campus safety officers. The display unfolded on or near the Steinhardt building at 50 West Fourth St., overlooking Washington Square Park, as hundreds of graduates and family members were in the area for the celebration.
The NYPD said its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating the incident. Police received a 911 call at 5:21 p.m. reporting harassment, and no arrests had been made. The episode quickly drew attention because it played out in the middle of a crowded university event, where the presence of the swastikas carried an unmistakable message of intimidation rather than random vandalism.
NYU condemned the display and said it was “shocked and deeply troubled” by what happened on campus. The building where the flag appeared is named for prominent Jewish philanthropists, adding another layer of sensitivity for a community already on edge during graduation week.
The incident struck at the heart of a university gathering that depends on a sense of safety in public space. By borrowing NYU’s colors and letters while pairing them with a Star of David and Nazi imagery, the flag transformed a campus celebration into a confrontation over harassment, antisemitism and security. Its removal ended the immediate display, but the symbolism ensured the act was read as a deliberate provocation, not an isolated stunt.
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